from left to right (Jacqueline Kozak, Fatima Sauafea-Leau, Dawn Chang, Maka'ala Ka'aumoana and Christine C. Costales)

They were the presenters on Friday, August 6 after Luncheon Presentation. The Honorable Togiola T.A. Tulafono, Governor of American Samoa was the presenter during the lunch break. Fatima was the first to present "To Build, Enhance and Promote Resource Conservation and Management Through a Participatory, Learning and Action (PLA) Approach". Dawn present "Culturally Appropriate Outreach in Support of the Hawaii Statewide Rodent Control Program", Maka'ala present "Community Resiliency and the Loss of Traditional Knowledge in the Face of Climate Change" and Christine present "Outreach and Public Education for Endangered Species and Watershed Restoration on The Island of Lanai."

from left to right (Charlene Afu, Fatima Sauafea-Leau, Risa Oram and Sione Lam Yuen Jr)

The 2010 Hawaii Conservation Conference was held at the Hawaii Convention Center from August 4-6, 2010. The theme for this year’s conference was Pacific Ecosystem Management & Restoration. Fatima Sauafea-Leau (NOAA Pacific Island Regional Office) presented on the third day of the conference at room: Ballroom A. Fatima presented about the Participatory Learning Action (PLA) Approach. PLA is a community approach that engages all sectors of a community. PLA is used in gathering information and sharing local knowledge using a diverse range of tools and activities. Some of the tools that she mentioned during her talk were Community Action Plan, Historical Profile, Resource Mapping and Identification of Problems, Cause, Effect, and Solutions. Sione Lam Yuen Jr (MPA Technician MPA Program attended the conference to learn and offer support to Fatima. Sione learned from the Hawaii Conservation Conference that people were sharing ideas, thoughts, techniques, and tools to protect marine resources. They had a shared desire to conserve, preserve and protect the marine resources and the environment for the future of our children and all people. People from Palau, New Zealand, American Samoa, Australia, and different parts of the United States participated. Sione also learned that there are also people from other islands in different countries that are concerned about their own marine resources and the environment because of the changes caused by global warming, human impacts such as pollution, human development and increase in population. Some people talked about preserving native species of marine resources and also native trees and plants that are in the forest. During her talk Fatima discussed how our Program (the MPA Program) used PLA in the village of Aunu’u. Sione was very happy to attend the first international conference of his life. He had fun and felt more motivated to learn about conserve traditional practices.

Maria Vaofanua, Fale Tuilagi, Kiso So'oto and Afa Uikirifi posting after the Government Leader and Village Mayor Workshop on Friday October 15, 2010 at the Equator Resteraunt in Tafuna. Malo Lava Le Galulue!

Maria Vaofanua another representative from the Information Education Division (IED) at the Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources helping out with the signing in of the mayors and also the activity during the Government Leaders and Village Mayor Workshop at the Equator in Tafuna. Special Thanks to Afa Uikirifi and Fale Tuilagi from the Community Based Fishery Management Program (CFMP), Fatima Sauafea-Leau from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Pacific Island Regional Office (NOAA PIRO), Alice Lawrence from the Coral Reef Advisory Group (CRAG), Kiso So'oto and Peter Eves from the Enforcement Division, and Maria Vaofanua and Lusila Minoneti from the Information Education Division. Thanks for all the help from the different divisions in the department, GRAG and NOAA PIRO.

Lusila Minoneti a representative from the Information Education Division at the Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources helping the her group with their concerns and questions about the activity. The activity was to design their own No-Take MPA in the villages that the mayors were divided into. Lusila and her group worked on the village of Leone on the western district. Mayors were had fun and gain more knowledge on the different Marine Protected Area's that American Samoa have.

Those are the people who work for the No-Take MPA program at the Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources. From left to right (Tafito Aitaoto, Lucy Jacob and Sione Lam Yuen Jr). That is their new uniform that they wore at the Government Leaders and Village Mayor Workshop that was held at the Equator in Tafuna. 47 mayors participated the workshop and they enjoyed it. There were presentations, activity and discussion sessions after the presentations.

Mayors were divided into 6 groups to design their own No-Take Marine Protected Area (MPA). Mayor Vaiesea Falaula Silivelio from the village of Tula and his group was designing their No-Take in his village. They had their MPA behind the NOAA weather station at the tip of the village of Tula. They had 4 reasons why they chose this area of the village to establish their MPA; 1) hardly anybody visit the area, 2) a lot of marine resources, 3) it has all 3 habitats for fishes: nursing grounds, feeding grounds, and spawning grounds and 4) healthy coral reefs. This MPA covers 3 miles from the coastline to the deep waters, and the group dicided that you can tell there is a No-Take MPA there because they are going to set buoy's 50ft from each other to mark the boundaries of the MPA.

The village of Aua's Mayor Fotuonuutaua Toma Anetere'a presenting on how a No-Take Marine Protected Area (MPA) would help to protect marine resources that they have in the village of Aua if established. Their group also presented how this MPA can keep outsiders from fishing in their village. Anetere'a think that this workshop really helped his group to think of ways that they can use to protect marine resources for the future of their villages. They have fun during the workshop on Friday, Malo Lava Le Galulue!

Summary Results from Evaluation:

97% said the presentations were clear and they were able to understand them (all except 1), 69% favorite topic was MPA talk; 34% liked Coral Reef talk; 17% preferred Climate Change talk and 28% like the activity, 97% thought the presenters were knowledgeable, 93% enjoyed the opportunity and would like to have more similar ones (2 people said no), 86% said fishing is a popular activity in their village (3 people said no), and 59% said they think their village would consider establishing an MPA; 24% (7 mayors) did not know and 7% (2 mayors) said no (Fogagogo and Tafuna).