Zahirul Islam, head of our project partner MarineLife Alliance, reports that the three turtle guard huts have been finished and installed. MarineLife has also bought binoculars and more classroom benches for the school.

The new primary school is already being used, and finishing touches to the building will be made soon. Seacology’s India and Bangladesh field representative Vineeta Hoon and Program Manager Mary Randolph visited the island in March, and were shown the school by Zahirul Islam, director of our project partner MarineLife Alliance. Zahirul also showed the first buoy, which was built on the island. One small guard hut, which will be used to safeguard sea turtle nests, has been built, and two more are almost finished. The marine protected area continues to be respected.

All materials for the school have been obtained, and construction is underway. The guard shed is almost finished. In addition to the six signs already posted on the beaches, 20 more 3-foot x 3-foot signs, with information about conserving the marine area and coral reef, are being installed. Durable benches have been bought for the school. An underwater survey and cleanup is scheduled for December and January. Because no mooring or demarcation buoys are available in Bangladesh, the people are making their own from fiberglass, with help from a local boat repair technician.

India Field Representative Vineeta Hoon reports that land for the school has been acquired, and the building’s frame is under construction. Corrugated tin, wooden panels, plastic windows, and flooring have been ordered, and the community is working on getting permission from the authorities to ship them to the island. The steel frame for the guard shed has also been ordered. Six signs about coral habitat protection have been erected on the beaches. Turtle conservation work is ongoing. Data are being collected on fisher families who engage in coral trade in the south area because they usually fish along the west coast, where the protected area will be established. A two-day underwater survey was conducted in March but had to be abandoned due to poor visibility; the dive operator suggests trying again between October 2015 and February 2016 because turbidity will continue to worsen with the onset of the monsoon in May.

India Field Representative Vineeta Hoon visited this island to conduct a training workshop with the MarineLife Alliance (MLA), Seacology’s partner on this project. She reports that the MLA is doing good work at protecting sea turtle nesting beaches and has a good network of volunteers from the community. Community leaders have signed the covenant with Seacology, signaling their commitment to preserving the marine protected area. In the next few months, the MLA plans to place signs around the island, conduct a survey of corals, and clean up plastic debris, fishing lines, and nets. The MLA has also bought building materials for the school, which should be built by May 2015. From June to October 2015, the plan is to buy and install mooring buoys, build the watch and guard sheds, and buy radios and binoculars.