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Waigeo Island
June 2007
Conservation benefit: Support of a 123,553-acre marine protected area
Community benefit: Solar power, toilets, a paved footpath, and other improvements for nine villages
Mayalibit is a large bay that deeply notches the island of Waigeo in Raja Ampat, Indonesia. This nutrient-rich, mangrove-fringed bay has long been known as a feeding, breeding, and nursery ground for fishes. It is also home to a school of unidentified species of white dolphin. The area is an important cultural and spiritual area for the indigenous Mayan people.
Recently, the nine villages of Mayalibit declared their 123,553-acre bay a marine protected area. Commercial fishing, netting, shark-finning, and all means of destructive fishing are banned there for at least 10 years. In return, Seacology, with the assistance of Conservation International Indonesia, will support projects tailored to each community’s needs.
Six of the villages (Go, Kabilol, Kalitoko, Lopintol, Waifoy, and Warimak) have requested a paved footpath to allow the villagers better access to freshwater wells and their school. The tiny village of Araway needs solar power to light the village meeting place, as well as a radio so that residents can receive news. The village of Beo has also requested solar power. The largest village, Warsamdin, has no sanitary means of waste disposal and dumps sewage straight into the bay. The Seacology grant will pay tor twenty eco-friendly public washrooms.
Full or partial funding for this project provided by- January 2010
- Arnaz reports that the footpath in Warimak is 100% complete; about 300 meters of concrete foot path has been laid down to span all the homes of the village.
- December 2009
- Field representative Arnaz Mehta reports that the projects were completed in all nine villages with the majority of those villages experiencing no problems (Kalitoko, Go, Lopintol, Araway and...
Read More - January 2009
- As of November 2008, the footpaths at Warimak and Kalitoko were being completed, and materials were purchased to begin the remaining projects at Beo, Go and Lopintol.
- May 2008
- A Seacology delegation visited the site in September 2007. Between September 2007 and May 2008 the nine villages were in the process of developing village decrees for acceptable and sustainable...
Read More - December 2007
- As of November, washrooms were 85% complete and paths at four villages were in various stages of completion ranging from 30% complete to 100% complete. Solar lights at Araway were originally...
Read More - October 2007
- Village agreements and list of documentation needed to start the project were completed in early September. Plans for September through October include purchasing and shipping materials,...
Read More