Conservation of Slender-Snouted Crocodile in the Lake Region of Gabon CLP ID: 01194114 Reducing commerce of illegal bushmeat and rallying support for slender-snouted crocodile conservation Lambaréné, Gabon, July 2014 – December 2016 Authors: Cyrille Mvele ([email protected]) Hermann Engone ([email protected]) Digondi Cédric ([email protected]) Rébecca Hermande Djanivenda ([email protected]) Heather Arrowood ([email protected]) www.oelogabon.org 1 Sept 2017 Table of Contents Project Partners and Collaborators 4 Section 1 Summary 6 Introduction 6 Project Members 8 Section 2 Aim and Objectives 10 Changes to Original Project Plan 10 Methodology 10 Outputs and Results 11 Communication and Application of Results 14 Monitoring and Evaluation 15 Achievements and Impacts 15 Capacity Development and Leadership Capabilities 16 Section 3 Conclusion 17 Problems Encountered and Lessons Learnt 17 In the Future 18 Financial Report 19 Section 4 Appendix 1: CLP M&E Measures Table 20 Appendix 2:Projet Faux Gavial Logos 21 Appendix 3: Protected Species Fliers 22 Appendix 4: Crocodile/Manatee panel at bushmeat market 23 Appendix 5: Crocodile/Manatee mural “Our Lady of the Ogooué” 24 Appendix 6: 2015 World Environment Day collage 26 Appendix 7: 2016 World Environment Day collage 27 Appendix 8: WACA GSA Presentation: Projet FauX Gavial 29 Appendix 9: Projet Faux Gavial Poster 32 Appendix 10: Bushmeat Market Report March 2015 33 Appendix 11: Bushmeat Market Report Sept 2015 41 Appendix 12: Bushmeat Market Report March 2016 47 Appendix 13: Bushmeat Market Report Sept 2016 52 Appendix 14: 2016 World Wetlands Day Report 57 Appendix 15: Mayoral decree forbidding commerce of protected species 62 Appendix 16: Collaborative agreement with city of Lambaréné 64 Appendix 17: Youth nature center contract 68 Appendix 18: Classroom presentation “Gabon the Last Stronghold of the Slender-snouted Crocodile” 70 Appendix 19: Environmental Education classroom activities 72 Appendix 20: Student questionnaires 73 Appendix 21: Projet Faux Gavial Scholarship 74 Appendix 22: Slender-snouted crocodile mural 75 2 Appendix 23: Student protected species mural 76 Appendix 24: Slender-snouted crocodile TV special 77 Appendix 25: Independence Day parade 78 Appendix 26: Participatory crocodile survey route 79 Appendix 27: Survey route data sheets 80 Appendix 28: Projet Faux Gavial cards 81 Appendix 29: Student citizen science photos of bushmeat 82 Appendix 30: Newspaper article in national paper 83 Appendix 31: OELO Programs Report 2015-2016: Projet FauX Gavial 84 Appendix 32: Oryx conservation news 85 Bibliography 87 Address list and Web Links 87 3 Project Partners and Collaborators OELO (Organisation Ecotouristique du Lac Oguemoué) – OELO is a Gabonese non-governmental organization that was formed in November 2010, when residents from the Lake Oguemoué area decided to protect their lake and environment for future generations. OELO’s first project became a community-based ecotourism site, Tsam Tsam, to create a source of revenue for local residents that valued biodiversity conservation. OELO’s mission eXpanded to include the protection of ecosystem services, to build support for conservation through education, and to help local residents generate income through the sustainable use of resources. OELO now leads five programs: Environmental Education, Community Outreach on Protected Species, Ecotourism, Sustainable Fishing, and Biodiversity Research. Projet Faux Gavial team members are all employees or board members of OELO. City of Lambaréné- OELO began officially collaborating with the City of Lambaréné, as a result of Projet Faux Gavial, in 2015 with the installation of a crocodile/manatee billboard at the main market highlighting their protected status and an underwater mural highlighting the slender-snouted crocodile at the main intersection of town. In October 2015, the Mayor signed a decree forbidding the sale of protected species in city limits. In 2016, OELO and the city signed a formal partnership agreement to work on conservation initiatives and launched their first joint project: a youth nature center and community space to promote wetland biodiversity and conservation. Provincial Academy of the Moyen-Ogooué- OELO’s environmental education curriculum is designed with input and approval of the provincial school system who facilitate coordination with 17 primary and secondary schools. Since 2012, the OELO team has worked with the provincial academy and school directors to reach thousands of students each year. Teacher mentor counterparts at each school are trained and given support to create nature clubs and stewardship projects at each school. Nature Clubs- OELO works with over 20 clubs a year including hundreds of students, in schools, churches, and neighborhood associations to identify local environmental problems, propose solutions the students can lead, and equip them to carry out their stewardship project. Top students win environmental scholarships and trips to OELO’s ecotourism site at Tsam Tsam at OELO’s annual World Environment Day event. TSAM TSAM- In addition to sponsoring multiple trips each year for top students, OELO’s ecotourism site at Tsam Tsam generates revenues for scholarships, community events, biodiversity research, sustainable fishing initiatives, educational materials, and nature club activities. Revenues from Tsam Tsam partially financed this project period of Projet Faux Gavial. 4 ANPN and DGEPN- OELO’s activities are focused in the largest wetland of international importance in the Gabon: the Bas Ogooué Ramsar Site. As the Government of Gabon sets up systems and regulations for managing its Ramsar Sites, OELO increasingly collaborates with the National Park Agency (ANPN) and the Direction General for the Protection of Nature (DGEPN) who provided additional funding for some of the Projet FauX Gavial Environmental Education and outreach efforts. USFWS Wildlife Without Borders- For 5 years OELO has received support from the USFWS Wildlife Without Borders program to reduce consumer preferences for bushmeat from protected species through community outreach, environmental education, and creating partnerships with local authorities and leaders. Based on the successes of these programs by 2014 we had recorded a dramatic reduction in bushmeat for sale from protected species with the exception of the slender-snouted crocodile that still showed up in local markets. Building on the successes of these programs the team developed “Projet FauX Gavial” to specifically target and reduce illegal commerce of the slender-snouted crocodile. USFWS provided complementary funding for this effort. 5 SECTION 1: Summary With CLP funding, Cyrille Mvele and team launched a project called “Projet FauX Gavial” (“Project Slender-snouted Crocodile”) to reduce illegal commerce of the critically endangered slender-snouted crocodile (Mecistops cataphractus), to reduce local demand for crocodile meat, and to build awareness and pride for the protected species. We held community outreach events, created a public crocodile mural at the main intersection of Lambaréné, installed a billboard announcing protected species laws at the largest market in the region, created a crocodile mural at a local elementary school, and led community events highlighting crocodile conservation. The team strengthened our partnerships with local city authorities, Gabonese government partners, NGO partners, religious leaders, and school directors. We created student-led nature clubs and presented a slender-snouted crocodile lesson plan that has so far reached 5049 students, in 73 classes, with 58 teachers, in 16 primary and secondary schools. We launched a citizen science project to engage Lambaréné youth to look for crocodiles and record crocodile commerce using their phones. By the end of the project period, for the first time in four years of bushmeat surveys, we had recorded a yearlong period with no slender- snouted crocodile bushmeat for sale at the market and only four observations of crocodile meat in restaurants representing 5% of our surveys, compared to previous years when crocodile meat was found in 67% of our restaurant surveys (Arrowood and Mvele 2017). Introduction The critically endangered slender-snouted crocodile (Mecistops cataphractus) is in decline globally with Gabon containing some of the last significant populations. The lower Ogooué and lake region of Gabon form the largest wetland of international importance in the country: the Bas Ogooué Ramsar Site. Lambaréné is the largest city in the region and a regional center for hundreds of villages scattered along the riverbanks and lakes shores. The surrounding network of rivers, lakes and flooded forest that are important habitat for the crocodile. Lambaréné has long been an important hub for wildlife trade as it is located at the crossing of Gabon’s largest river, the Ogooué, with the National Highway 1. Boats come in from the surrounding villages filled with fish and bushmeat to sell to buyers from all over the country. OELO began working on biodiversity conservation in the Bas Ogooué Ramsar Site, in 2011 financed with income from its ecotourism site Tsam Tsam on Lake Oguemoué. In 2012, OELO launched a community outreach program focused on changing consumer preferences for bushmeat from protected species and created an environmental education program (EE) in local primary and secondary schools. At the same time, we began conducting surveys in the main bushmeat market in the region: Marché Isaac, Lambaréné.