CEPCRM is a $2 million worth joint project of Japan International Cooperation Agency and PICRC to develop a coral monitoring system to support management of the country’s MPA, including MC jurisdictions countries, namely, FSM, RMI, Guam and CNMI.
PICRC has selected Ngarchelong, Ngardmau, Ngiwal, Ngchesar and Peleliu States to be its pilot MPAs to help them develop their own management plan and finally qualify to be official PAN sites.
At present, Ngarchelong and Ngiwal already have official PAN sites, namely, Ebiil and Ngamai, respectively. PICRC is helping the two States develop their own management plan.
The two-week training focused on coral reef monitoring specific to coral cover, fish census, seagrass cover, invertebrates and sedimentation.
“The training had lectures and field training components,” said Carol Carol Emaurois, Head of Environmental Education/PR Department of PICRC.
“It is a major activity of the project that contributes to the development of the monitoring protocol system to support MPA’s management in Palau and possibly in all Micronesia Challenge (MC) jurisdictions.”
Emaurois added that this system of monitoring protocol is envisioned to assist all MC jurisdiction achieve the conservation of 30 percent terrestrial and 20 percent coastal resources effectively by 2020.
CEPCRM runs from July 2009 to July 2012.
