The visit to northern Australia are participated by five community representatives from Rote Island in eastern Indonesia and five community representatives from Dili, Com and Batugade districts of Timor-Leste.
The visit is hosted by Charles Darwin University (CDU), the North Australia Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance (NAILSMA). During this exchange programme, the participants visit various locations around Darwin and eastern Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory.
Topics covered during the tour include:
During this visit, participants are expected to share ideas and information with other participants. They are expected to participate in group discussions regarding their expectation of the visit, what they have learnt and how it might be relevant or useful to them and their communities. The participants are encouraged to ask questions both of the session facilitators as well as Aboriginal host organisations.
The demonstration project in Timor Leste is implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF), the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste. The project started on 1 October 2012 and will end on 1 May 2014.
The demonstration of alternative or supplementary sustainable livelihoods to improve food security and socioeconomic conditions of local communities in TL aims at addressing one priority environmental concerns, such as a decreased of mangrove coverage due to deforestation. By strengthening the livelihoods of coastal communities is expected to have better management of mangrove conservation.
There are two main components in this demo project.
The project started with a discussion with communities’ leaders. Thus a participatory approach was used to select beneficiaries and plan the implementing process. 17 people attended the mudcrab farming traning. After the training, 80 pens were set up in Beacou Atabae, Bobonaro, TL up to mid April 2013. Due to strong wave and wind, only 30 pens left. Then the MAF moved the pens to Liquica, different villages that have more protection from the wind and wave.
Meanwhile, fish processing training was attended by 26 women in Beacou. The women were excited with these new knowledge and skills to improve the value of the fish. One participant considered this training inspired her to preserve the fish during abundant stocks and improve the value of the fish along the marketing chain.
]]>The project in Aru seeks to address the “failure to manage mangrove and coastal resources in North Aru“. Specific problems are: the use of mangrove tree for subsistence living and for boat construction; the development of Aru poached the mangrove area, loss of endemic fish Oti (sea catfish), red snapper and mud crab, and loss of barrier to protect the village from sea hazard such as storm and high tide.
Based on these issues, the following outputs and a set of activities for each were formulated:
Seaweed farming has been a favourite alternative livelihood in Aru due to its low capital for the initiation, the skills can be learned easily, and high demand. 10 groups which are 30 men and 20 women as members, in three villages (Marlassi, Kahbufin Tasinwaha) were formed. Not only provision of ropes for seaweed farming, also training in farming, harvesting and post harvesting.
Communities conserve their coastal resources by building awareness, replanting mangrove trees in front of their villages and strengthening local wisdom to protect the marine resources. Communities mapped their resources and they are in the process of building agreement to conserve it.
In addition, they also face problems of the use of dynamic fishing method by outside fishers which result in massive dead fish. Therefore, they established a community based surveillance system. This strengthens the conservation efforts.
]]>The project in Aru seeks to address the “failure to manage mangrove and coastal resources in North Aru“. Specific problems are: the use of mangrove tree for subsistence living and for boat construction; the development of Aru poached the mangrove area, loss of endemic fish Oti (sea catfish), red snapper and mud crab, and loss of barrier to protect the village from sea hazard such as storm and high tide.
Based on these issues, the following outputs and a set of activities for each were formulated:
Seaweed farming has been a favourite alternative livelihood in Aru due to its low capital for the initiation, the skills can be learned easily, and high demand. 10 groups which are 30 men and 20 women as members, in three villages (Marlassi, Kahbufin Tasinwaha) were formed. Not only provision of ropes for seaweed farming, also training in farming, harvesting and post harvesting.
Communities conserve their coastal resources by building awareness, replanting mangrove trees in front of their villages and strengthening local wisdom to protect the marine resources. Communities mapped their resources and they are in the process of building agreement to conserve it.
In addition, they also face problems of the use of dynamic fishing method by outside fishers which result in massive dead fish. Therefore, they established a community based surveillance system. This strengthens the conservation efforts.
]]>The project in Aru seeks to address the “failure to manage mangrove and coastal resources in North Aru“. Specific problems are: the use of mangrove tree for subsistence living and for boat construction; the development of Aru poached the mangrove area, loss of endemic fish Oti (sea catfish), red snapper and mud crab, and loss of barrier to protect the village from sea hazard such as storm and high tide.
Based on these issues, the following outputs and a set of activities for each were formulated:
Seaweed farming has been a favourite alternative livelihood in Aru due to its low capital for the initiation, the skills can be learned easily, and high demand. 10 groups which are 30 men and 20 women as members, in three villages (Marlassi, Kahbufin Tasinwaha) were formed. Not only provision of ropes for seaweed farming, also training in farming, harvesting and post harvesting.
Communities conserve their coastal resources by building awareness, replanting mangrove trees in front of their villages and strengthening local wisdom to protect the marine resources. Communities mapped their resources and they are in the process of building agreement to conserve it.
In addition, they also face problems of the use of dynamic fishing method by outside fishers which result in massive dead fish. Therefore, they established a community based surveillance system. This strengthens the conservation efforts.
]]>The project in Bomaki Village seeks to address the “failure to manage mangrove and coastal resources development and the decreasing of mangroves trees” People in Bomaki have customary knowledge and rules to regulate the access and benefit of the mangrove areas, however, the customary rules are not able to preserve the mangrove areas from high pressures. Yayasan Baileo in collaboration with communities in Bomaki strengthens the customary knowledge by using community mapping and advocating the rules to district regulation.
There are three main components of this project:
One way to improve the management of mangrove forest is by improving the community based map of natural resources. 11 men and 5 women revised their community based marine resources map. This revision is meant to strengthen and promote their customary rules in managing marine resources to district level. In addition, the quality of mangrove forest needs to be improved. At least 9,113 mangrove trees were planted by the villagers along the coastal areas in Bomaki up to April 2013. School children were involved in the planting activities.
The introduction of mudcrab rearing enlightens the communities on how valuable their mangrove forest. The activities started with training of rearing, climate and environment condition, market value. 50 people (25 men and 25 women) attended the training. By inviting a trainer, who is a successful breeder and farmer of mudcrab in Central Java, inspired the communities that they are able to benefit the mangrove forest better.
Overall, the beneficiaries benefit the project directly through improving their capacity and awareness on the coastal management. Economic return from mudcrab farming has not yet benefit as it just started with training and initiating the activities.
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