This year, Didil Belau was awarded a grant from Global Environmental Facility to carry out projects in Airai. One of which is to raise awareness on marine resources in the village.
“The specific scope of this project with Ordomel Village is to train the community members to carry out field survey in their inner lagoons, specifically sea cucumbers, clams, and others,” said Carol Emaurois, Head of Environmental Education of Palau International Coral Reef Center.
Thirty men and women participated in the training.
According to Emaurois, based on their accumulated knowledge about their reefs, the fisherwomen and men from the village made a consensus decision to carry this initial training and survey at a seagrass bed located in front of Oikull Hamlet.
Based on PICRC’s watershed research in Airai Bay, the inner reefs around the area have traditionally been the source of sea cucumbers and other invertebrates to Airai villagers throughout their lifetime.
