Emphasise is being placed on the importance and maintainance of sustainable coatal areas, so that marine life as well can developped without threat and human interference.As well as promoting scientific research epsecially when it comes to local indigenous species which are facing threat of extinction, so that solution can be found to resurge the diminishing populations.
Notable Community Participation
Members of local community around the Baie Ternay and school children
Capacity - Building Component
Passing on the info gathered from the monitoring exercises to children in environmental clubs as well as public so that they can be in a better position to understand about the aquatic marine life and the threat that many species face.Workshops, open day and other activities have been organised under the project.
Promoting Public Awareness of Global Environment
Sensitisation activities have been organised , articles have been written and they have featured in local newspapers on the organisation website etc... School children in environmenal clubs have participated in different activities in relevance to the project as well.Mcss has also participate in national events such as national day with different displays featuring the different aspect of the project.
Policy Influence
The implementation of the Protected Areas Policy in the management of Marine Protected Areas has been affected by this project by the increased awareness of local residents to the use of the area by the key species; although this does not change local policies it does help to inform these policies and also helps in their implementation.
Two National Policies will be informed by the outputs of this project, the Seychelles Sustainable Development Strategy 2010-2020 (which replaces the Environmental Management Plan of Seychelles) and the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan.
As indicated above, it is too early to estimate the affects that the outputs of this project may have on Government or local policies, largely as the results of the project are only just being distributed; however, we are optimistic that conservation management will indeed benefit from the results as will the incorporation of stakeholders in the management process.
Project sustainability
The project has developed its own sustainability in that the development of the skills and presence of the equipment will enable the continuance of the projects activities both on this site and also to be replicated at other sites.
Linkages gef projects
This project has some direct links with the on-going full sized GEF project “Strengthening Seychelles’ Protected Area System through NGO Management Modalities”; information gained from this will project will be used in helping the implementation of this large project. As such there are direct linkages with the GEF and the implementation of this larger programme
Replication of project activities
This project will be continued for at least the next 12 months and probably longer as the acoustic array is in position and is being maintained by the project’s implementing partners. The scope of the project’s activities may also be expanded to include other species as decided upon that pose particular
management issues with respect to their conservation. The replication of these studies to other areas is also being researched subject to logistical and financial support.
Project Results
The primary objective of this project was to increase scientific understanding of local biodiversity and threats, by improving knowledge of threatened and indicator species in this biodiversity hotspot through local community involvement.
Immediate benefits to both the implementers and local community was the gaining of new skills, through the project activities, and the gaining of knowledge about the species, from the outputs of the activities. Medium and longer term benefits will be the adaptive management of these species within the protected area and potentially the implementation of some form of zonation for species which were also found to use adjacent areas external to the currently controlled MPA. In terms of outputs the project has generated significant data with respect to the study species that will be shared with the project’s implementing partners; also, the deployment of the acoustic array in this area will be maintained at least for the next year allowing a continuation of these studies and their potential expansion to additional species.
