Project proposal

1. Project name Restoring Maldivian coral reefs as climate resilient ecosystems

2. Timeframe September 2019 – 31 December 2022

3. Project summary The Maldives’ atolls are the jewels of the Indian Ocean. Not only are coral reefs the foundation of the Maldivian economy, they are the actual foundation of every island and they protect the low-lying islands from the eroding forces of the sea. They also provide the environmental setting for the country’s most lucrative industry, tourism. Coral reef protection is fundamental to the future of the country and Maldivian people. Yet, there are no examples of well managed marine protected areas in the country and due to over exploitation, these reefs are degrading and losing their capacity to support the people who depend on them.

BLUE together with its local partners are working to create the first locally managed marine reserve in the Maldives on Laamu Atoll. The reserve will seek to combine effective management of small- scale fisheries and reef protection in a network of locally supported and effectively managed reserves. BLUE’s model aims to demonstrate that effective conservation in the interests of all is possible in Maldives with the support of multiple stakeholders: Private sector, government, NGOs and the local community.

Implementing a well-managed marine reserve on Laamu would act as an exemplar of good management practice, both in terms of public/private partnership, strong community participation, good scientific input and tangible, measurable results under- and above water. It would form the basis for a model that could be rolled out to other atolls. It could also become a regional exemplar of excellence in ocean conservation that others could learn from.

4. Overall mission

1

Blue Marine Foundation’s mission is to see at least 30 per cent of the world’s ocean under effective protection by 2030 and the other 70 per cent managed in a responsible way. We aim to achieve this by:

1. Securing marine protected areas; 2. Developing models of sustainable fishing; 3. Restoring marine habitats; 4. Tackling unsustainable fishing and; 5. Connecting people with the sea.

Creating the first marine protected area on Laamu Atoll would help BLUE to achieve its mission of seeing 30 per cent of the world’s oceans under effective protection. The marine protected area will be a no-take zone surrounded by a buffer zone in which only sustainable reef fishing will be allowed which would support BLUE’s vision to see the remaining 70% responsibly managed.

5. SMART-aim By the end of 2022 BLUE and its local partners, the Laamu Atoll Council and Six Senses Laamu will have created the first marine protected area on Laamu Atoll. This marine protected area will cover an area of at least 2000 hectares and will protect at least three key habitats-coral reefs, seagrasses and mangroves- and at least ten endangered species.

6. Activity plan 1. To understand the health of marine species and habitats on Laamu Atoll, we will: 1a. Conduct baseline benthic and fish surveys at 14 different coral reef sites. 1b. Conduct baseline surveys of the mangrove forests on Laamu atoll. 1c. Conduct baseline surveys at seven different seagrass sites. 1d. Monitor the success of turtle nesting on Gaadhoo Island monthly, for one year

2. To understand the resource use within key ecosystems on Laamu Atoll we will: 2a. Conduct resource use surveys with ~200 residents on Laamu Atoll.

2

3: To establish accurate perception baselines of the wildlife in Laamu Atoll and assess change among local communities over time we will: 3a. Create a semi-structured questionnaire to collect and capture LEK from the residents. 3b. Conduct a historical search for sources and accounts dating to island discovery to present day.

4: To develop the design and management plan for the reserve with key stakeholders in Laamu Atoll we will: 4a. Assist Laamu Atoll Council to create a marine reserve stakeholder committee. 4b. Develop participatory planning workshop activities with a specialist. 4c. Hold ~four participatory planning workshops on each island in Laamu.

5: To generate strong support for marine reserves and sustainable fisheries in Laamu we will: 5a. Continue to educate young adults and students to foster environmentally aware individuals to mitigate environmental issues and assist sustainable development. 5b. Continue to engage the community with the concept of marine reserves and sustainable fisheries. We will continue to support the annual conservation-based festival led by Six Senses in Laamu to celebrate local wildlife and promote the need for a reserve. 5c. Continue to work with young school children to hand paint wall murals on the remaining islands of Laamu to promote biodiversity conservation and sustainable practices. 5d. Develop a series of short films called "Messages from your forefathers". We will collect LEK from the people of Laamu to demonstrate the theory of 'shifting baselines' to convince locals of the need for better management of their resources.

6: To disseminate information about our project and research to promote marine reserves and sustainable fisheries management we will: 6a. Make all our research and protocols publicly available on our Maldives Resilient Reefs project website. 6b. Use our social media pages and public talks to generate awareness about the progress of our projects and related events using photo and video media. 6c. Continue to attend national and international scientific symposiums to present our research.

7. To increase capacity for local environmental management we will: 7a. We will train local conservation leaders in Laamu Atoll.

3

7b. We will provide six internships to university students. 7c We will continue to run our public seminar series at the Maldives National University featuring a series of talks from international scientific experts to build capacity for conservation and resource management within the government and young students.

8: To incentivise fishermen to fish more sustainably we will: 8a. Develop a multi-stakeholder working group for reef fishermen who sell their catch to the resort. 8b. Develop a fishing code-of-conduct with fishermen and provide fishermen with an economic incentive to fish more sustainably.

9: To secure national protection for the marine reserve we will: 9a. Continue to support the government's national objectives and political commitments. 9b. We will apply for the reserve to become a designated 'Hope Spot' to promote national and international attention to the biodiversity value and the need for it to become nationally recognised as a protected area. 9c. We will launch a local petition for the marine reserve and secure a minimum of ~10,000 signatures from at least 50 per cent of the population to support its creation. 9d. We will write a marine reserve proposal to the Ministry of Environment providing evidence which will justify national legislation.

7. Evaluation process How do you evaluate the work within your project? Describe the variables on which you evaluate your work?

The long-term goals of the reserve are to: (1) Protect, conserve, and restore the species and genetic diversity of living marine resources and ecosystem processes; (2) Manage marine and coastal areas to promote sustainability of the use and to reclaim and recover areas and resources that have been over-exploited; and (3) Ensure resource users who live on the islands situated inside and in the vicinity of the marine reserve are involved in the planning, development, and management of the reserve, sharing the benefits of the protected area operations and have priority in the resource use and other economic opportunities.

The specific project goals are to (1) determine the health of key ecosystems on Laamu Atoll, (2) Determine resource use patterns in these areas, (3) establish accurate baselines of marine life in Laamu Atoll and assess change over time, (4) develop a marine reserve management plan, ensure

4

that resource users are involved in the planning, development, and management of the reserve and (5) secure national protection for the marine reserve

Goal 1: Determine the health of key ecosystems on Laamu Atoll

Managing and conserving the biodiversity within Laamu requires knowledge of the physical and biological assets. However, very little is known about the current state of the habitats and biological assemblages within the atoll. Six Senses Laamu collect data on the local biodiversity and habitats found around the resort island and at commonly visited dive sites. However, data may be biased and unreliable due to sporadic collection, staff changes and non-standardised methods. Effective management of Laamu’s resources into the future requires this knowledge gap to be filled efficiently and quantitatively.

We will collect bio-physical information about habitats and biodiversity within the proposed marine reserve and from areas adjacent to it. This will include information such as: types, and extent, of ecosystems and habitats, the flora and fauna of each of these habitats, the structure and extent of coral communities and other benthic communities, the composition of fish assemblages associated with the coral communities and other benthic communities, areas that are unusually rich in biodiversity within the boundaries of the MPA, i.e. areas with a high diversity and richness of a particular group; areas with a high diversity and richness of several groups, areas used by fishes for spawning, and as juvenile nursery areas and the distribution of sea turtles, other marine mammals, and of habitats used by these groups.

Goal 2. Determine resource use patterns in these areas Community consultation is known to be the largest predictor of successful marine reserves. We will develop resource use surveys (including both socio-economic surveys and fisheries surveys) and survey both the proposed reserve and adjacent areas of land and sea. This is necessary because human activities outside the boundaries of proposed marine reserves both in the sea and in coastal areas, may directly affect decisions made in both the design and management of any protected area. Fisheries surveys will examine all extractive uses of living marine resources including finfish and invertebrates. Socio-economic and fisheries surveys for will be designed by an expert who will be hired to carry out these surveys in the field, and train national specialists in those methods. Data collected will include: the types of uses made of the living marine resources occurring in the area, the locations where these uses occur, and the intensity of use in each of these locations, species caught by fishermen, and any seasonal patterns in species targeted, historical records of catch and effort for species caught, the types of fishing equipment used by fishermen, the locations of fishing

5

camps, seasonal patterns in the use of living marine resources, areas important for recreation and tourism, and the levels of usage, areas important for research and education, use of the area for navigation, shipping, defence and areas with traditional and cultural significance.

Goal 3: Establish accurate baselines of marine life in Laamu Atoll and assess change over time

People tend to consider their first experience of an environment as “natural” and therefore the point from which future change has occurred. But if only modern evaluations exist then ecosystems will be viewed from points after when degradation has already occurred and sometimes massively so. To help counteract ‘shifting baselines, historical data and perspectives can be used to develop more appropriate ecological baselines from which to define management aims. To obtain information on how past and present residents of Laamu Atoll perceive its marine life, we will create a semi- structure questionnaire and collect local ecological knowledge (LEK) from the residents of Laamu.

To develop a historical picture of marine life on and around Laamu Atoll a literature and archival search will be conducted for sources for accounts dated from when the island was discovered to the present day.

To obtain information on how past and present residents of Laamu perceive its marine life, we will create a semi-structured questionnaire to probe people’s knowledge and perceptions of marine life. In total, we will interview over 120 people from four of the eleven islands of Laamu. These interviews will be performed face to face during the fieldwork in either interviewee’s homes, workplaces or in public spaces.

4. Develop a marine reserve management plan, ensuring that resource users are involved in the planning, development, and management of the reserve

Marine protected areas are controversial in nature, especially those that are designed as multiple use sites, and whose stakeholders represent many divergent interests. If not adequately addressed, conflict will undermine the management of the MPA. Examples from MPAs across the world suggest that managers are wise to face the conflict by engaging stakeholders and working collaboratively towards common solutions. The participatory approach is based on the idea that with adequate investment in a facilitated process, and the willingness to take the time needed to work through the conflicts, an agreement on challenging resource management issues can be achieved between and among stakeholder groups with different interests. Conflict can be destructive however, if it is addressed and well managed, it can produce positive and long-lasting results. Conflict can be used to uncover important differences and guide the way to positive change.

6

We will hold participatory planning sessions on Laamu’s local islands. We will present the findings from our biodiversity and resource use survey and use these to form the basis for discussions about how best to manage local resources. In each of the initial sessions on each island, we will present the marine reserve design and management strategies we believe will yield the most benefits for people and nature.

We will also co-ordinate the formation of an MPA advisory body, a formal stakeholder-based advisory group consisting of representatives from various user groups, government agencies, interest groups and local communities. The role of the MPA advisory body will be to provide advice to the marine reserve manager and/or management authority on the operation of the MPA and/or on addressing complex resource management issues.

(5) Secure national protection for the marine reserve

Once a management plan is agreed upon, BLUE will assist Laamu Atoll Council to sign a comanagement agreement with other relevant stakeholders to agree on management roles. BLUE will write up an MPA proposal to be delivered to the national government. The proposal will include the findings from research collected throughout the project as well as the details of the agreed management plan for the reserve and the co-management agreement. This will be presented to the Ministry of Environment accompanied by a letter signed by all members of the MPA council requesting that the reserve is nationally recognised as a marine protected area.

8. SWOT analysis

What is the project’s SWOT’s? List the project’s strengths, opportunities, weaknesses and threats.

Strengths

• BLUE is a conservation charity with several years of experience on creating marine reserves and innovative fisheries management models.

• BLUE has been working in the Maldives and on Laamu Atoll for more than four years and has existing strong relationships with the community, fishermen, private sector (Six Senses Laamu) and local government (Laamu Atoll Council) on Laamu Atoll.

• BLUE has a deep understanding of the environmental governance system of the Maldives and has established strong relationships with key people at the national government.

7

• BLUE’s Maldives project is managed by an International Programme Manager who is based in the London Office. In the Maldives, BLUE’s activities are led by Maldives Project Manager supported by Laamu Research Assistant. Both staff are Maldivians and are experienced in delivering education and outreach programmes.

Weaknesses

• The Maldivian atolls and islands are geographically dispersed. Laamu is one of the 20 administrative atolls, located in the south-central region of the Maldives 45 mins domestic flight from the city center, Male’. All the government offices are in Male’.

• Even though Maldives has 99% literacy rate, marine literacy among the local community is weak. Marine science is not integrated in the national school curriculum, so a vast majority of school leavers do not have the basic understanding of reef ecology. Marine related courses at the Maldives National University are in the infant stages and lack resources and technical expertise. There are very few university graduates in this sector in the Maldives.

• Maldivian civil sector is weak and are in the early stages of development. There are a handful of local NGOS working on environmental issues, however they lack capacity and resources to scale up their efforts.

• There are inconsistencies in the mandates of Fisheries, Environment and Tourism Ministries on marine governance. They have historically adopted a sectorial approach to conservation which doesn’t work well when multiple resource users are involved. Further, there is a lack of resources and technical expertise at these Ministries.

• Laamu Atoll Council does not have a staff member that is dedicated to monitor environment issues in the Atoll.

Opportunities

• Maldivian government has committed to protect 10% of the ocean by 2020, however progress is slow. The government is currently undertaking a marine spatial plan exercise to identify priority areas for conservation. The newly established government in 2018 has pledged to protect at least one reef, one mangrove and one uninhabited island from each atoll by 2022.

• The new government has started to roll-out decentralization programmes, giving local councils more decision-making power over their resources. Atoll-based management approaches are a more practical solution for such a geographically dispersed country.

8

• Laamu Atoll council has pledged to protect five areas in the atoll. Four of these areas are in BLUE’s proposed conservation zones.

• Six Senses Laamu, a luxury resort located in Laamu is invested in long-term marine conservation initiatives. They host two other NGOs in addition to BLUE, Manta Trust and Olive Ridley Project, in addition to three marine biologist staff members.

• Importance of marine resources are being increasingly acknowledged by local fishers, especially those who have personally witnessed reef decline over their lifetime. • Over the last two years, conservation minded local groups have emerged in Laamu, who are keen to participate in education programmes and strengthen their capacities for environmental management.

Threats

• Maldives is in the early stages of democratic system of governance. After 30 years of autocratic rule, the first democratic President was elected in 2008. The road to democracy has been a bumpy road with an unstable political situation until 2018. The current government is a coalition government, where the Cabinet represents various interests.

• The local government elections have been delayed due to the COVID19 pandemic. The Council will have a new batch of representatives that BLUE will reach out to.

• Over the last 15 years, Maldives has focused on infrastructure development in the Greater Male’ region as well as outer inhabited islands. This has resulted in changes to the natural dynamics of currents and sediment movement around small islands. There is still appetite to continue development projects that can be destructive to the environment.

9

Project budget 1. Current exchange rate 1 USD = MVR 15 Date: 12 June 2020 Source: https://www.bankofmaldives.com.mv/exchange-rates

Item Units Cost per unit Total cost Priority (List salaries in hours)

1. Equipment PADI OWD course certification fee + 6 250 1,500 2 equipment Reef Check EcoDiver course certification fee + snorkeling gear 6 75 450 1 Snorkeling sets 12 50 600 Seagrass Ecology Course materials 6 50 300 4 Mangrove Ecology Course materials 6 50 300 3 Sum equipment 3,150

2. Transportation PADI OWD course boat hire + land 4 100 400 2 transport Reef Check EcoDiver course boat hire + land transport 1 200 200 1 Reef Check citizen science surveys 1&2 boat hire + land transport 2 200 400 5 Seagrass Ecology Course boat hire + 1 150 150 4 land transport Seagrass monitoring surveys 1&2 boat hire + land transport 2 150 300 5 Mangrove Ecology Course boat hire + 1 200 200 3 land transport Mangroves monitoring surveys 1&2 boat hire + land transport 2 150 300 5 Domestic air travel- mangrove expert 1 200 200 3 Sum transportation 2,150

3. Supplies and lodging PADI OWD course accommodation 4 50 200 2 Reef Check Course accommodation 4 50 200 1 Seagrass Ecology Course accommodation 4 50 200 4

10

Mangrove Ecology Course accommodation 4 50 200 3 Reef Check monitoring surveys 1&2 accommodation + meals 8 50 400 5 Seagrass monitoring surveys 1&2 accommodation + meals 8 50 400 5 Mangrove monitoring surveys 1&2 8 50 400 5 accommodation + meals Sum supplies and lodging 2,000

4. Salaries PADI OWD Course Instructor (6pax, 4 days) 1 400 400 2 Mangrove Ecology Course instructor (2 1 400 400 3 days) Sum salaries 800

Sum total 8100

5. Commentary on budget

The budget provides the details of all the citizen science activities we have planned to carry out over the course of the project. This includes the training sessions and the subsequent monitoring surveys.

It is important to provide a continuous outreach to the community groups to build up their skills gradually until they are confident enough to lead on the surveys by themselves. In this approach, we will be directly working with each group at least three times over the course of the project period.

Milkywire fundraising targets: • $150/month with this funding we will buy quadrats and slates for three seagrass citizen science teams in Laamu Atoll to enable communities to monitor their local habitats independently. • $600/ month with this funding we will purchase 12 snorkelling kits for our citizen science teams who are monitoring the health of their local coral reefs, seagrass meadows and mangroves. • $600 / month with this funding we will create three locally relevant digital infographics to educate fishermen and community about the importance of sustainable fishing for healthy coral reefs • $900 / month with this funding we will purchase 2 Go-Pro cameras for a local island in the Maldives so that they can monitor resident fish populations in their local seagrass meadows and mangroves.

11

Signature

Date

12