Capacity Enhancement Project for Coral Reef Monitoring

lthough this project is being implemented by PICRC and JICA, active participation from local, regional and international agencies and organizations is critical to its overall succcess. Project collaborators include: all

Capacity Enhancement Project state governments; Ministry of Natural for Coral Reef Mon toring Resources, Environment and Tourism; the Micronesia Challenge Office; and a Capacity Enhancement Project number of local and international non- for Coral Reef Monitoring (CEPCRM) government organizations that operate in PO Box 7086 • Koror, PW 96940 •Republic of Palau Ph: 680.488.6950 • Fax: 680.488.6951 Palau or within the Micronesian region. Capacity Enhancement Project email: [email protected] •website: www.cepcrm.org for Coral Reef Monitoring alau, considered a mecca by scuba divers indicated that Marine Protected Areas MC Donors 30% near shore area Other and underwater enthusiasts, is home to an (MPA)* be established and evaluated and Relevant Agencies 20% terrestrial area Government abundance of pelagic and reef fish species as that PICRC should improve its institutional Contribution A shared target-based commitment of 5 well as a diversity of hard and soft corals. As capacity becoming the hub for monitoring governments to ensure effective conservation of Establishment and their PAs Palau’s tourism industry is so closely intertwined coral reefs in the Micronesian region. Management of MPAs with the health of these coral reefs, it is vital State State State Government Government Government to the country’s future that conservation efforts *MPAs in Palau are established and managed to support the continued sustainable removal succeed. of renewable living resources within or outside PICRC the MPA by protecting important habitat and Financial/Technical Conservation in Palau spawning, mating or nursery grounds. If well Support managed, Palau MPAs will have higher tolerances PAN In 2003, the Protected Areas Network PAN (Protected Areas Network) against environmental and biological changes. Act provides a framework for MNRET Palau’s national and state (PAN) was established in Palau, providing a government to collaborate on protecting the country’s framework for national and state governments Capacity Enhancement Project Palau biodiversity. to collaborate on protecting the country’s for Coral Reef Monitoring (CEPCRM) biodiversity. On November 5th 2005, Palau President Tommy E. Remengesau Jr. called on The goal of CEPCRM is for PICRC to share his peers to join him in the Micronesia Challenge its technical capacity with Micronesia Challange to effectively conserve 30 percent of near jurisdictions. To achieve this, PICRC’s shore marine resources and 20 percent of forest technical capacity for coral reef monitoring resources by 2020. The Challenge countries — will be strengthened and then transferred to Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia, the communities in the region through Marshall Islands, the US Territory of Guam training programs and educational and the Commonwealth of the Northern seminars. Mariana Islands — represent nearly 5 percent Project responsibilities for of the marine area of the Pacific Ocean PICRC include: developing and roughly 7 percent of its coastlines. a system to support the monitoring of MPAs; making Meanwhile, in an effort to strengthen technical recommendations functions of research and education for coral regarding MPA management; reef conservation, the technical cooperation establishing monitoring protocols; project, Palau International Coral Reef Center and enhancing partnership between Strengthening Project, was launched by Palau CEPCRM and Micronesia Challenge International Coral Reef Center (PICRC) jurisdictions and relevant agencies. with funding provided by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Project findings