Ngarchelong State on October 20 at Ollei Port, Ngarchelong to discuss and identify problems and threats that need to be addressed in order to ensure the longevity of life that thrive in the Northern Reefs is cosseted and to identify the challenges that the people will face in their efforts to protect the Northern Reefs.
According to Golbuu, the meeting was basically an exercise of prioritizing problems, threats, and challenges that members of the community have identified as things, which if addressed accordingly and appropriately, would likely guarantee the protection and conservation of the Northern Reefs.
The residents identified the following as major threats or challenges that must be considered: lack of enforcement of existing laws and regulations that govern the Northern Reefs; insufficient number of laws and regulations; indeterminate poaching; unregulated or indiscriminate harvesting; loss of prime habitats; and conflicting regulatory approaches.
The residents unanimously voted to place lack of enforcement of laws and regulations as the top priority that must be addressed.
“There are laws and traditional moratoriums that have been established to protect the Northern Reefs, but they have not been effectively enforced,” proclaimed a resident. “Poaching and indiscriminate and uncontrolled fishing practices, which are major threats to the Northern Reefs, could be lessened if the arms, claws, and teeth of the laws and moratoriums are exercised regularly.”
The two hours meeting is part of an effort to develop a long-term conservation management plan that embraces traditional and modern conservation strategies to protect the Northern Reefs. Further, part of the effort is to ensure that the people’s reliance of the resources in the Northern Reefs is perpetuated in a sustainable manner.
“We are working on a plan that would guarantee that our children will find edible fish in the Northern Reefs and at the same time, provide opportunities for them to allow for their children to fish as well, “ said Harper Skang, coordinator of the Northern Reefs Management Office. “The plan would be meaningless without the input and support of the people.”
According to Skang, the NRMPT, with the support of the Palau International Coral Reef Center, the Palau Conservation Society, The Nature Conservancy, and other organizations and individuals, will continue to conduct similar meetings to get input from community members. Future meetings on the development of the Northern Reefs Management Plan will be announced.
