Seacology Board of Directors Approves New Island Projects
The following projects were approved by Seacology's board of directors at their November 2001 meeting:
COOK ISLANDS - Preservation of Lake Tiriara on the island of Mangaia. At an estimated age of 18 million years, Mangaia is thought to be one of the oldest islands in the Pacific. Mangaia’s most notable geological feature is a series of concentric raised coral reefs called makatea, which form cliffs as high as 200 feet around the island. Lake Tiriara is located on the southern part of the island and opens into a cave in the makatea. The biological diversity of the lake area, home to rare and endangered bird and plant species, is at risk due to poor agricultural practices and overall lack of proper management of the island’s environment. Seacology is supporting the construction of a boardwalk, public restroom and signage in exchange for the village’s agreement to permanently ban pesticides, dumping, tethering of livestock and construction within 50 meters of the shoreline.*
FIJI - Purchase of a boat in exchange for the establishment of a no-take fishing reserve. Navatu Village is located on Vanua Levu, Fiji’s second largest island. The village consists of two mataqali (tribes) and has a population of 160. Navatu has title to one of the largest fishing rights areas in Vanua Levu, including the area surrounding 110-acre Namena Island, home to the largest hawksbill turtle nesting area in Fiji. Namena’s reef ecosystem, known for its worldclass diving, is threatened by overfishing, particularly the overharvesting of sea cucumbers. Seacology is providing the village with a 25-foot boat for patrolling the new reserve in exchange for Navatu Village’s 10-year ban on fishing and sea cucumber harvesting in their 5.6 square mile fishing rights area.
FIJI - Construction of a community hall and water tank construction in exchange for forest and flying fox preservation. Waibalavu Village is located 80 miles from the capital city of Suva on Fiji’s largest island, Viti Levu. It has a population of 160 composed of three tribes. Seacology is assisting the village in the construction of a badly needed community hall and water supply system. In return, the village has agreed to protect 792 acres of pristine rainforest, as well as a mountain cave that is home to a colony of bekabeka (flying foxes).
INDONESIA - Construction of a Community Coastal Resource Centre. The island of Sulawesi is defined by the longest continuous coastline in all of Indonesia, exceeding that of the continental United States. As such, a significant percentage of island residents are highly dependent on the naturally rich marine resources for their survival and livelihood. However, Sulawesi’s coastal marine ecosystems have sustained significant degradation due to unchecked resource extraction and development pressures. Seacology is assisting the local organization Kelola and the Mangrove Action Project in constructing a Community Coastal Resource Centre. Based on the success of a similar Seacology project in Sri Lanka, the new center will be a mangrove demonstration site, environmental education center, and a meeting place for villagers and local organizations.
MADAGASCAR - Establishment of a national park. Mt. Angavokely is situated 22 kilometers east of the capital city of Antananarivo. It is one of the last remaining relicts of high-altitude rainforest in all of Madagascar, and is home to over 120 species of rare and endangered orchids. The forest is an important watershed for three local communities. Seacology is working with the Malagasy environmental organization ARCVERT to establish a 695-hectare national park to preserve one of the last remaining tracts of high-altitude forest left in Madagascar and protect the area’s orchid species, as well as provide recreational opportunities to Antananarivo residents.*
MADEIRA - Re-establishment of endemic plant communities. The North Atlantic island of Madeira, which was first settled in the 15th century, has about 250,000 inhabitants. Deforestation caused by livestock grazing has led to serious flooding problems, and desertification and invasive species are an ever-growing threat to the island. To address the problems of erosion and loss of diversity, the 1,000-hectare Ecological Park of Funchal was established in 1994 in the mountains high above the capital city of Funchal. Seacology is providing support for the reforestation of the park’s highest mountain, Pico de Arreiro. The project will be carried out by a small local organization Associaçao de Amigos, which engages local street children and orphans in tree plantings and other ecological activities.*
PAPUA NEW GUINEA - Demarcation of “no-take” coral reef zones. Kimbe Bay on the island of West New Britain is famous for its natural beauty and high marine biodiversity. This area is a focus of work by Mahonia Na Dari, a wellrespected local NGO that has worked together with island communities to establish and run their own locally managed marine areas. Within Kimbe Bay is Settin Bay, the location of four villages who have set aside “no-take” zones to protect critical areas of their inshore reef. Seacology is assisting these communities by providing demarcation buoys, a community-based monitoring program and community awareness materials to help educate surrounding villages on the purpose and function of the no-take areas.
USA - Nesting boxes for threatened auklet species. Rhinoceros Auklets are a crevice/burrow nesting marine bird that was once plentiful in California, but most of the breeding population had disappeared by the late 1800s. After designation of Northern California’s Farallon Islands as a National Wildlife Refuge in 1970s, populations began to recover. Presently the Farallon Islands, Año Nuevo Island and Castle Rock in Northern California provide habitat for approximately 96 percent of the California breeding populations, totaling no more than 2,000 birds. Since 1976 the Point Reyes Bird Observatory has deployed over 500 Auklet nesting boxes on Southeast Farallon and Año Nuevo Islands. Both species have readily occupied boxes, and valuable information on population dynamics has been gained. Seacology is providing the funding for the construction and installation of 65 additional nesting boxes.
* Financial support for asterisked projects generously provided by the
Nu Skin Enterprises Force for Good Foundation.
