The Department Of Marine & Wildlife Resources

The Department Of Marine & Wildlife Resources
Showing posts with label Marine Stewardship Learning Exchange at Apia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Marine Stewardship Learning Exchange at Apia. Show all posts

Monday, May 16, 2011

There were three main goals to the community representatives meeting on Day 4. First to discuss some of the lessons learned during the activities of the previous days. Secondly, to identify a strategy to implement the information gathered from the exchange in order to improve their own respective VMPA programs in each of their village and finally to provide and evaluation of the trip to help coordinate and plan future exchange visits. As a result of this meeting, it was clear from the group that government and village communities need to collaborate and communicate more in order to provide consistency and transparency in VMPA management activities. Both of these managing entities cannot be independent while working to implement VMPA's.

The third day was spent with MNRE officials and their MPA communities. The group traveled to Aleipata district where Vailoa village welcomed the AS group during the third traditional ava ceremony of the trip. Aleipata district was the area of Western Samoa most affected by the tsunami in September 2009. Despite the massive devastation, there were signs of complete and near complete rebuilding of communities along the Aleipata coast. After the ava ceremony by Vailoa village, they hosted breakfast for the participants before participating in the day's information sharing with communities from the Aleipata and Safata districts.

At the end discussion session, Deputy Director of DMWR Fuafuaimealelei Tuaumu briefed the Falealili community on the Community-based Fishery Management Program (CFMP) in American Samoa. He explained the similarities and differences between CFMP and their existing programs in Falealili. He also elaborated on the importance of incentive programs such as the re-stocking of giant clams that situation in Apia where the giant clams from other Pacific islands like Fiji and Tonga. Tuaumu also reiterated that in the past when the American Samoa hatchery was in full operation. AS donated clams to Apia for this very purpose to provide MPA villages with clams to re-stock their reef area.


Upon arrival in Apia, the American Samoa group was greeted by MAFF, CEO, MNRE, ACEO and their staff during a ava ceremony held at the Fisheries conference room. During the ceremony government leaders were introduced from each of the ministries. After the ceremony, the government presented presentations on the different community-based MPA programs conducted by both ministries and how they differ. This provide the participants with background information about each MPA program and how they are facilitated by each of the respective government agencies.