THE CHIEF ESTATES FALALOP ISLAND ULITHI …ncrane/ES 10/Ulithi/Declaration letter to...THE CHIEF...
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THE CHIEF ESTATES FALALOP ISLAND ULITHI ATOLL, YAP STATE August8 th , 2011 Birgit Winning Executive Director, Oceanic Society San Francisco, CA U.S.A. Dear Ms. Winning, As the Chiefs and Leaders of Falalop, we commit to expanding conservation efforts on Falalop and surrounding islands. We propose to create a management plan that combines traditional practices and scientific recommendations so as to protect our marine resources and ensure sustainable harvests. In order to achieve our management goals, the community of Falalop would like to continue to work with the Oceanic Society. Specifically, we would like assistance in developing a locally managed marine conservation plan for our reefs and marine resources on the Island of Falaiop and neighboring Turtle islands and the islands of Loosiep, Bui Bui and Yew. The conservation plan we develop could be a template that other islands in Ulithi Atoll adopt, ensuring coordinated management and conservation between all of the islands through community agreements. We recognize the work that Oceanic Society has already done with our community through the Ulithi Turtle Project and the small-scale ecotourism programs they support here. We met with a representative of Oceanic Society, Nicole Crane, on June 28, 2011, to discuss the development of a larger conservation plan. We discussed several ideas including the possibility of reef area closures, gear restrictions, seasonal closures, and a combination of methods; as well as the training of local community members in monitoring and data collection on the reefs and the fish we catch. We support the work of the Oceanic Society here on Falalop and commit to continue working on a marine conservation plan that will protect our reefs and sustain reef resources for our community now and in the future. We hope that this letter of commitment will also help the Oceanic Society to secure funds to help our community implement a locally managed marine conservation plan. Yours sincerely, •o^^m Rap'hael Lirigelso Chief of Falalop ad Representative/Owner of the Turtle Islands and Reef
Transcript of THE CHIEF ESTATES FALALOP ISLAND ULITHI …ncrane/ES 10/Ulithi/Declaration letter to...THE CHIEF...
THE CHIEF ESTATESFALALOP ISLAND
ULITHI ATOLL, YAP STATE
August8th, 2011
Birgit WinningExecutive Director,Oceanic SocietySan Francisco, CAU.S.A.
Dear Ms. Winning,
As the Chiefs and Leaders of Falalop, we commit to expanding conservation efforts on Falalopand surrounding islands. We propose to create a management plan that combines traditionalpractices and scientific recommendations so as to protect our marine resources and ensuresustainable harvests.
In order to achieve our management goals, the community of Falalop would like to continue towork with the Oceanic Society. Specifically, we would like assistance in developing a locallymanaged marine conservation plan for our reefs and marine resources on the Island of Falaiopand neighboring Turtle islands and the islands of Loosiep, Bui Bui and Yew. The conservationplan we develop could be a template that other islands in Ulithi Atoll adopt, ensuringcoordinated management and conservation between all of the islands through communityagreements.
We recognize the work that Oceanic Society has already done with our community through theUlithi Turtle Project and the small-scale ecotourism programs they support here. We met with arepresentative of Oceanic Society, Nicole Crane, on June 28, 2011, to discuss the developmentof a larger conservation plan. We discussed several ideas including the possibility of reef areaclosures, gear restrictions, seasonal closures, and a combination of methods; as well as thetraining of local community members in monitoring and data collection on the reefs and thefish we catch. We support the work of the Oceanic Society here on Falalop and commit tocontinue working on a marine conservation plan that will protect our reefs and sustain reefresources for our community now and in the future.
We hope that this letter of commitment will also help the Oceanic Society to secure funds tohelp our community implement a locally managed marine conservation plan.
Yours sincerely,•o^^mRap'hael LirigelsoChief of Falalop ad Representative/Owner of the Turtle Islands and Reef
THE CHIEF ESTATESFALALOP ISLAND
ULITHI ATOLL, YAP STATE
Philip Yatch
presentative of Falchoy and the Reef of Losiep, Bui Bui and View
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Representative of Falkal
THE CHIEF ESTATESFALALOP ISLAND
ULITHI ATOLL, YAP STATE
Falalop Declaration Concerning Marine Resources, 2011
In the interests of our children and future generations, we, the leaders of the community ofFalalop, declare our desire to manage our marine resources in. a sustainable manner. To thisend, we propose to create a management plan that combines traditional practices and scientificrecommendations so as to protect our marine resources and ensure sustainable harvests.
We recognize that parts of this management plan may require permanent, temporary/ orrecurring reef closures and species harvest restrictions, among other strategies. We alsorecognize that effective management of marine resources may require coordinatedconservation plans with other islands in Ulithi Atoll.
As the Chiefs and Leaders of Falalop, we will help ensure that any agreed-upon managementplan will be monitored and enforced. In addition, we will ensure that pertinent information isdistributed to everyone involved. As a community, we understand that it may take time forsome management efforts (such as closure of some reefs to fishing) to be effective, and thatthese closures may result in hardships (such as reduced fish catch) for some time period. Inorder to gain the long-term benefits of this type of management, it may be necessary for ourcommunity to secure supplementary resources in the interim to support our needs.Supplementary resources may include meat or alternative sources of protein, as well as fuel sowe may fish other areas of the Atoll that do not experience as much fishing pressure as Falalop.Agreements to fish such areas could be secured from owners of reefs in other parts of UlithiAtoll, and could become part of a larger conservation plan for the Atoll.
We propose to collaborate with organizations such as the Oceanic Society in order to takeadvantage of their scientific expertise.
Signed this 7th day of August, 2011, Falalop, Yap State, Federated States of Micronesia
V
THE CHIEF ESTATESFALALOP ISLAND
UUTHI ATOLL, YAP STATE
an Uwel/jtepresentative of Falchoy
Representative of Falkal
