Technical and Financial Project Proposal Template1 Name of The
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Technical and Financial Project Proposal Template1 Name of the Organization: Type of Organization: Dominica Watersports Association Watersports and conservation The Dominica Watersports Association is the governing body for Watersports on Dominica, actively involved in all aspects of reef conservation and promotion of marine resources in school through schools outreach and annually at Dive fest, now in its 20th year. The mandate being education, conservation and marketing. The Watersports Association works hand in glove with the Fisheries Division on many aspects of the marine environment and is a leader in marketing and promotion of the Island as a tourism destination globally. Locally it undertakes a schools outreach program giving presentations on marine life, undertakes school boat trips to see marine mammals and has given at least 100 persons a career as a dive professional over the years. Contact Person: Address: Arun Madisetti Po Box 1898 Roseau Commonwealth of Dominica Telephone: Email and Website: 1-767-614-1102 (c) [email protected] 1-767-440-2842 (h) www.dominicawatersports.com Project title: Reef conservation by control and elimination of non native invasive species Project Objective and Expected Outcomes: Institutional and capacity strengthening through equipment purchase, training and fieldwork. Reef conservation measures through species control. The basic goal of this proposal is to equip, train and initially partially fund a team of local divers to hunt and remove the invasive lionfish (Pterois sp) from the most actively dived reefs of Dominica. It has been shown locally and in literature that repeated visits to reefs can control the population of lionfish; the outcome of this project is to provide the wherewithal to control populations on certain reefs within highly dived areas, such that population levels can be kept low. Fisheries Division has granted permission for the project manager and team leader to dive independently coastwise to hunt and remove lionfish, it is anticipated that once a team is suitably equipped that they may extend permission to the other members of the project specifically to hunt and remove the fish. 1 The proposal can be written in English or Spanish 6 Target Population: The Red Lionfish, an invasive species to the region. Amount Requested in USD: Co-financing: 50% in kind financing by member operators $19, 960.16 of the Watersports Association Project Duration in Months: Country: 24 Commonwealth of Dominica 2. Project Summary: The first Lionfish was seen on the reefs of Dominica in December 2010, it was removed several days later by staff of the closest dive centre. Since then the population has climbed despite repeated efforts by individuals to control specific areas. The Dominica Watersports Association undertook to bring down Lad Akins of REEF in Key Largo to hold talks and initial field training on capturing and removing the specie from the reefs. Dominica was very pro active in this regard. From an initial island wide sensitization in all media, on Lionfish in 2011 and a repeat in the summer of 2012, all fishermen, schoolchildren and the public at large know about Lionfish and the danger they pose to the inshore reef fish fishery here on our coast. This project hopes to secure funding to equip certain local divers with the necessary equipment to go out on a regular basis and capture or kill lionfish on specific reefs, it will also provide funding (50%) towards a team of divers going out once a week to cull or control the population, the balance of the costing for diving will be borne by the individual dive operator being utilized. 3. Organization’s Experience The original tenets of the Dominica Watersports Association (DWA) were founded on are education, conservation,.and marketing In the past 20 years, the DWA has taught hundreds of people to strap on equipment and try scuba, many of whom may not have ever had the opportunity. This, coupled with schools outreach, educational boat rides and the creation of jobs for locals has been ongoing. Dominica remains one island in the region where over 95% of the dive staff are home grown. There are Dominican dive professionals regionally, in Europe the UK, USA, and the west coast of Canada Since the onset, the DWA has worked with the Fisheries Division, their paths are intertwined, they have always been willing to lend an ear, offer a means to an end and or let the DWA take the lead on several issues relating to the marine environment. It is this working relationship that ensures the DWA remains a voice for those who work as professionals on and under the sea in tourism, and can assist the Government in projects for which they may not have the resources or Manpower. With an active qualified reef researcher on the board as an advisor and instructor the DWA is equipped to undertake most environmental challenges in a scientific and methodical manner whilst maintain the ability to write scientific reports for fisheries division. 6 4. Project Narrative Description (Maximum 10 pages): It is already known that the Lionfish are now firmly entrenched in the region, they have been seen from as far north as New Jersey in the north, to Brazil in the south, they are also found throughout the Caribbean basin and Gulf of Mexico; whilst one cannot win the war, certain battles can be won by diligently keeping numbers low on certain reefs. With no natural predators in the region, and an extremely high fecundity, the red Lionfish population growth throughout the region has been explosive. Studies in Florida and here have shown that the fish are capable of ingesting prey items up to half their body size. In the case of Dominica, where there is little coastal shelf, this means reef fish, which also form part of the daily consumption of the population. 4.1. Rationale: Over the past 8 months, repeated visits to certain reefs have kept the lionfish population in low numbers, but this control has been effectively people paying out of pocket for reefs in the central and south, and one diver in the north. This grant will assist by providing much needed equipment to outfit certain divers, all local and suitably trained, and meet 50% of the dive costs to ensure that they are able to go out on specific reefs and kill these invasive creatures. With limited to no continental shelf on the Caribbean seaboard, there are few grouper and large snapper, these species are, where lionfish were once endemic are the main predators on the specie. It has been documented that grouper and snapper are now eating Lionfish in the Cayman Islands and Belize. We are also noticing that eels are now more than willing to capture and eat smaller lionfish which is a local predator we need to have “working with us. “ 4.2. Baseline: A spreadsheet (of four tabs) for capture/kill numbers for the past year to date has been included as part of the proposal. This shows numbers on certain reefs, the name(s) of those capturing and other observations. With the appearance of the first lionfish; a paper was written on behest of the DWA and presented to the government in cabinet, regarding the Lionfish and projected outcomes following inactivity as to the invasion. Meetings with Fisheries Division were fruitful, and a subsequent paper sent from the DWA to Fisheries Division to permit the use of pole spears on scuba for the express purpose of lionfish removal. The use of any capturing device on scuba in the waters of Dominica is otherwise prohibited. 4.3. Project Goals and Purpose: The combined goal and purpose of this application is to ensure the equipment is purchased and 50% of dive costs met for two years to keep certain reef populations of lionfish in check. Once the initial team is equipped the remaining equipment will be disbursed amongst the dive operators such that every operator has a least a full set, should their staff elect to hunt on a dive with tourists. All other costs will be met by the DWA as further in kind financing. 4.4. Project Outputs and Indicators: With active teams patrolling the reefs the outcome is essentially to cull as many lionfish seen as possible. Indicators will be an observable decrease in populations on reefs. By keeping populations low or removing all fish seen on certain reefs, it is hoped that these controlled reefs will permit the local fish populations to rebound, whilst at the same time, removing the larger fecund invasives from the gene pool. 6 4.5. Project Activities and Methodology: Once a week for the next 24 months, a team of 8 divers will undertake to remove as many invasive fish as possible from several reefs. All divers will be locally trained in removal techniques and handling of the lionfish, which has venomous dorsal, pelvic, and anal spines. Methodologies employed will be net, and pole spear. 4.6. Logical Framework: Complete a Logical Framework for the project using the format below: Narrative Summary Performance Means of Assumptions/Risks Indicators Verification Goal Reduced numbers of Visual documentation All divers equipped To control invasive lionfish on the reef, via sightings and and trained to species numbers at fewer juveniles seen kills. efficiently capture certain reefs and kill invasive species under special fisheries permit Purpose Fewer lionfish Reports from tourist Fisheries Division Institutional numbers divers and operators. writing special strengthening and permits for dive capacity building to group, DWA to assist effectively police the in co financing dive reefs costs, Outputs Increase in numbers Continued updating Fewer numbers on Purchase of of local divers of spreadsheet to controlled reefs. necessary equipment, undertaking lionfish document numbers train and equip local patrols.