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AWARENESS OF MARINE ISSUES AMONGST THE FISHER POPULATION OF KALEDUPA AND THE FEASIBILITY OF COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT OF REEFS
Introduction
This study is looking at
the amount of local participation contained in local area management sites within the Wakatobi National Park with specific
reference to the proposed Stakeholder Zone in the marine area of north Kaledupa.
The idea behind the Stakeholder Zone is to give the 16 local Kaledupan villages
a chance to form collaborative management of the area, in order to maintain the
areas biodiversity, productivity whilst maximising income for the local people.
Operation Wallacea has held meetings in all 16 villages, as well as a large
meeting with all the village heads to discuss and receive feedback on the idea
of the Stakeholder Zone from the local people of Kaledupa. Although still in the
early stages, with these meetings only being held in the last 2 months, the
feedback on the idea has been good. However in order for the project to be
successful, all the fishermen in the local villages on Kaledupa and in the Bajo
village of Sampela must be made fully aware of the ideas behind the project. It
is not just a simple case of Operation Wallacea holding meetings in the villages
to inform them, but the villages themselves must discuss the proposals
internally so that community ideas can be generated and problems solved. This is
what my study is looking at; if the local villages have the capacity to sort out
community ideas and problems internally with minimal input from outside
influences such as Operation Wallacea. This will be the one of the most
important aspect in the success of the Stakeholder Zone.
Aim
To
analyse communication and awareness levels of marine issues among the local
fishermen of Kaledupa and Sampela.
Objectives
The overall objectives were to :
Methodology
The
data was gathered using random sampling qualitative research. Interviews were
conducted using a set of 23 questions based on the objectives above, with local
fishermen in Louloa, Sombano and Sampela. A total of 50 interviews were
conducted in all three villages.
Preliminary results
All
three villages had some idea about the rules of fishing in the marine area, they
mainly identified bombing and cyanide use as the major “no-no” in the area.
However the interviewees did indicate that these methods were still used in the
area although they didn’t know who it was.
Many
fishermen on Kaledupa have a number of problems to do with fishing, mainly about
the tools and methods they use. They are keen to learn new ways of sustainable
fishing, but they do not know how to go about it. I discovered further problems
in that regular formal meetings were never held to discuss their problems either
in the villages of Louloa and Sombano. If no meetings are being held to sort out
these issues then how does knowledge and information get passed around the
village? This indicates poor communication around the village, and so when I
asked the people in the village whether they had heard of the Stakeholder Zone
meeting, many of them did not know what it was. Those who did no about the
meeting had not even discussed it with their fellow fishermen. If these
communities do not have a common goal i.e. in this case, to manage the
Stakeholder Zone then the project will not work because people are unaware of
what they should be doing, because no one has told them.
There
were also some stark differences between the villages on Kaledupa and the Bajo
village of Sampela. The Bajo fish full time, unlike the Kaledupans, and so they
are much more knowledgeable about marine issues. There is much more of a
community spirit in the village with nearly all the respondents indicating that
they have meetings from time to time. This indicates a better capacity for
knowledge and idea transferral around the village. If this is the case then
there would be a better understanding in this village about the purposes of the
Stakeholder Zone. However the problem is getting the Bajo people to work with
the Kaledupan people, as conflict does exist between the two. This problem has
to be addressed if co-management is going to occur in this area.
Dissemination of results
The
findings of this study will be presented in an undergraduate dissertation
entitled Awareness of marine issues amongst the fisher population of Kaledupa
and the feasibility of community management of reefs will be produced by
James Farmer, University of Portsmouth by May 2003