Transcript SWMI presentation

Sepik Wetlands Management Initiative
COMMUNITY-DRIVEN
BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION
&
RURAL DEVELOPMENT
in the Sepik River region
Papua New Guinea
Presented by: Benny Gowep
© SWMI
P. O. Box 81, Ambunti, East Sepik, Papua New Guinea ph: 675 8585 132 email: <[email protected]>
Background of SWMI
• formed in 1998 as a CBO in Ambunti, PNG.
• members are local people concerned with
sustainable use of Sepik wetlands resources
• funded by a UNDP-GEF Small Grant 20012003; since then minor funding from the PNG
crocodile industry and WWF-PNG
SWMI’s Goal:
Establish and link
community-led conservation of wetlands
in the Sepik River region
with
Improvements in the social and economic
welfare of local communities
SWMI’s Objectives:
• Develop a community-oriented, self-help approach to conserve
wetlands, especially dense floating mats of herbaceous vegetation.
• Stop degradation of locally important wetland habitats, especially
crocodile nesting areas, and restore sites where feasible.
• Use crocodile egg harvests to improve income generating
incentives for sustainable utilization of wetland resources, and link
earned income to conservation of crocodile nests, breeding
crocodiles and biologically distinct nesting habitat (floating mats).
• Prevent invasive species such as introduced fish (Pacu and Java
Carp), Water Hyacinth and Bush Morning Glory from reducing local
biodiversity, and threatening the economic benefits gained from
sustainable use of crocodiles and other wetland resources.
SWMI’s Main Activities
• Coordinate annual crocodile egg harvests
• Monitor habitat and crocodile populations
• Strengthen conservation awareness
• Help control introduced & damaging species
• Assist community development activities
SWMI’s Achievements
• Efficient crocodile egg harvests conducted
mainly by local landowners/communities.
• ‘Spot checks’ conducted of unharvested nests;
night counts of crocodiles and nest counts.
• Upriver spread of water hyacinth stopped.
• Conservation of wetlands biodiversity
established in many upper and middle
Sepik village domains.
Middle Sepik: ‘Very High Priority’
biodiversity value
1.5 million ha
Population: 50,000 people
AERIAL SURVEYS AND NIGHT COUNTS
Aerial Survey
Night Counts
How Commercial Egg Harvest links to
Conservation of Crocodiles and
Wetlands Biodiversity
TOK ORAIT
LONG KISIM MONI BILONG KIAU PUKPUK
[[C
CO
OPPY
YB
BIILLO
ON
NG
G PPA
APPA
A//M
MA
AM
MA
AB
BIILLO
ON
NG
GG
GR
RA
AU
UN
N]]
Mi _____________________ bilong ples _______________ olsem papa/mama bilong
tais/graun ol i kolim _______________ i hamamas long kisim dispela moni long salim kiau
pukpuk bilong ol/ dispela ______-pela haus pukpuk na mi orait long dispela fopela (4) samting:
1) Lukautim olgeta narapela haus pukpuk mi no kisim kiau long en long graun bilong mi,
olsem olgeta kiau bilong ol dispela haus pukpuk i ken bruk na kamapim pikinini
pukpuk; mi putim tambu tru long ol manmeri i no ken kisim ol dispela narapela kiau;
2) Bihain long mi salim pinis kiau mi orait long Sepik Wetlands Management Initiative
(SWMI) i kam na sekim ol dispela haus pukpuk na hap tais we mi save lukautim.
3) Tambuim faia long olgeta hap bilong mi we pukpuk i save wokim haus na karim kiau;
4) Sapos mi brukim dispela tok orait long lukautim haus pukpuk na hap tais bilong karim
kiau, mi klia olsem long taim bihain mi no inap long salim gen kiau pukpuk bilong mi.
Mak bilong mi:
x _______________________________
Deit: _______________
Neim na mak bilong witnes: ____________ x______________ Deit: _______________
Saltwater Crocodile Egg Harvest
Data and Analyses
Crocodylus porosus egg harvests in the middle & upper Sepik, 1985-2008
18,000
16,000
INFERTILE / DEAD EGGS
14,000
3515
VIABLE EGGS
4439
NUMBER OF EGGS
12,000
2444
2495
2540
10,000
1691
START OF CANOE HARVESTS
BY MHL AND SWMI
8,000
13491
6,000
11790
10946
10261
9787
AERIAL HARVESTS BY DEC
4,000
916 7817
577
134
0
410
289
2,000
392
3465
131
202
146
661 859
1985
181
647
1987
1198
1324
1989
1656
1991
2145
1545
1993
1995
1591
1997
YEAR
1999
2001
2003
2005
2007
C. porosus nesting trend 1982-2008
200
180
160
N = 12 sites
Number of nests
N = 29
140
p=0.0001
120
100
80
60
p=0.000007
40
20
0
1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009
Year
C. porosus nesting trend by landownership
200
180
N=28 SECURE sites
Number of nests
160
N=13 DISPUTED
p= 0.000016
140
120
100
80
p= 0.43
60
40
20
0
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
Year
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
C. novaeguineae nesting trend 1981-2008
200
Number of nests
180
160
N=21 sites
N=33
p= 0.14
140
120
100
p= 0.32
80
60
1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008
Year
C. novaeguineae nesting trend by landownership
200
180
N=24 SECURE sites
Number of nests
160
N=9 DISPUTED sites
140
P= 0.025
120
100
80
60
P= 0.01
40
20
0
1985
1987
1989
1991
1993
1995
1997
Year
1999
2001
2003
2005
2007
2009
Introduced Species of Fish are destroying
large areas of floating mats: Primary sites
of Saltwater Crocodile Nesting Habitat
Pacu Piaractus brachypomum
Java carp Puntius gonionotus
Impact of Fish
on Nesting
Habitat
Water Hyacinth
Bush
Morning
Glory
Burning of Nesting Sites
Impact of burning on nesting
habitat
at 41 survey sites by 1998:
• >50% reduction at 11out of 21 sites
• >80% reduction at 5 out of 13 sites
Challenges facing SWMI
• Lack of substantial funding since 2003
(lack of basic equipment, lack of fuel for regular
travel to villages and key wetlands).
• No solution in sight for introduced fish which are
increasingly destroying floating mats that
saltwater crocodiles depend on for nesting.
• Resolving land ownership disputes at some
key wetlands sites in the middle Sepik.
Acknowledgements
• Participating local people
• Mainland Holdings Ltd.
• PNG Department of Environment & Conservation
• UNDP-GEF Small Grants Programme
• Worldwide Fund for Nature –PNG Programme
Thank you !