REPORT OF THE PACIFIC ISLANDS REGIONAL DUGONG & SEAGRASS CONSERVATION

WORKSHOP

MUNDA ISLAND, SOLOMON ISLANDS5-8 MARCH 2018

Table of ContentsAbbreviations...........................................................................................................................2

Introduction......................................................................................................................... 1

The Dugong and Seagrass Conservation Project is executed by the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund, with financing from the Global Environment Facility, implementation support by the United Nations Environment Programme and technical support from the Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation and Management of Dugongs and their Habitats throughout their Range of the Convention on Migratory Species.

Workshop.............................................................................................................................2

DAY 1................................................................................................................................2

DAY 2..............................................................................................................................10

DAY 3..............................................................................................................................20

DAY 4..............................................................................................................................24

SPREP DRAFT DUGONG ACTION PLAN 2018-2022.............................................................26

CLOSING OF WORKSHOP................................................................................................26

PRESS RELEASE...................................................................................................................26

Annex 1 Workshop Agenda................................................................................................27

Annex 2 Participants List....................................................................................................30

Annex 3 SPREP Marine Species Programme 2018-2022 Draft Dugong Action Plan...........33

Annex 4 Figure 1 Conceptual model of dugong and seagrass conservation for the Pacific island region.......................................................................................................................40

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AbbreviationsAfrican, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP)Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID)Biodiversity and Protected Areas Management Programme Phase 2 (BIOPAMA2)CMS Dugong MOU Standardised Catch and By-Catch Questionnaire (CMS Dugong MOU Questionnaire)Coastal Marine Management (CM2)Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM)Commonwealth Marine Economies Programme (CMEP)Community Centred Conservation (C-3)Conservatoire d’espaces naturels Nouvelle-Caledonie (CEN)Convention on Migratory Species (CMS)Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the Conservation and Management of Dugongs and their Habitats throughout their Range Secretariat (CMS Dugong MOU Secretariat)Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF)Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)Dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO)Directorate of Conservation and Marine Biodiversity (DG)Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)Dugong Conservation and Management Plan (CMP)Dugong and Seagrass Conservation Project (DSCP)European Union (EU)Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)Fiji Locally Managed Marine Areas Network (FLMMA)German Ministry for the Environment (BMUB)Global Environment Facility (GEF)Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA)Institute of Research for Development Operations Cetaceans (IRD)Intergovernmental Organisations (IGOs)International Climate Initiative (IKI)International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)IUCN’s Oceania Regional Office (IUCN ORO)Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)Joint Research Centre of the European Commission (JRC)Locally Managed Marine Areas (LMMAs)Madagascar National Parks Shamalaza (COSAP)Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)Marine Spatial Management (MMAF)Master’s of Science (M.Sc.)Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Disaster Management and Meteorology (MECDM)Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund (MbZFund)National Action Plans (NAPs)

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National Oceanographic Centre (NOC)Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs)Pacific Community (SPC)Pacific Islands Countries and Territories (PICTs)Pacific Islands Protected Area Portal (PIPAP)Pacific-European Union Marine Programme (PEUMP)Palau Conservation Society (PSC)Potential Biological Removal (PBR)Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP)Small Island Developing States (SIDS)Solomon Islands Community Conservation Partnership (SICCP)Solomon Islands Locally Managed Marine Areas Network (SILMMA)Tetepare Descendants’ Association (TDA)Turtle Conservation Project (TCP)UK Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS)Vanuatu National Facilitating Committee (VESS)Wildlife Trade Monitoring Network (TRAFFIC)World Wildlife Foundation (WWF)

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IntroductionDelegates from four of the six SPREP Members who are dugong range states (New Caledonia, Palau, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu) convened in Munda, Western Province, Solomon Islands, on 5-8 March 2018, to discuss the status of dugong and seagrass conservation in the region and plan the next steps that need to be undertaken to effectively address the region’s conservation needs. Papua New Guinea and Australia were unable to attend.

The objectives of the workshop were to exchange experiences with dugong conservation across the dugong range states in the Pacific and to provide feedback on SPREP’s Regional Dugong Action Plan 2018-2022.

The workshop was conceptualised and organised by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), under the Dugong and Seagrass Conservation Project (DSCP) with funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The Solomon Islands Government hosted the workshop, with technical direction from the Convention on Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the Conservation and Management of Dugongs and their Habitats throughout their Range Secretariat (CMS Dugong MOU Secretariat). The meeting was attended by representatives from New Caledonia, Palau, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu; the Pacific Community (SPC)1, the UK Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), the Universities of Newcastle and Queensland, Seagrass Watch (based at James Cook University), the private sector company EnerGaia, and the Tetepare Descendants’ Association (TDA).

See Annex 1 Workshop Agenda See Annex 2: Participants ListSee Annex 3: SPREP Marine Species Programme 2018-2022 Draft Dugong Action Plan

1 In November 2015, the organisation’s legal name, the Pacific Community, was adopted for general use. The abbreviation ‘SPC’ was retained, given its wide use and recognition throughout the Pacific.

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Workshop

DAY 1

OPENING OF MEETINGThe workshop convened on Monday, 5 March, 2018, with opening remarks from:

Ms. Agnetha Vave-Karamui on behalf of the Solomon Islands Government; Mr. Nicolas Heard on behalf of the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund

(MbZ Fund); Dr. Donna Kwan on behalf of the CMS Dugong MOU Secretariat; Mr. Mike Donoghue on behalf of SPREP, who also took the opportunity to invite the

participants to review the draft Regional Dugong Action Plan drafted by SPREP for the period 2018-2022, for discussion later in the workshop.

Agnetha Vave-Karamui was elected Chair of the workshop. Agnetha is the Conservation Officer for the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology (MECDM), which is responsible for sustainable environmental management, climate change adaptation and mitigation, disaster risk management and meteorological services for the Solomon Islands. 2

2 http://www.mecdm.gov.sb/about-us.html. 08 Jul 2016. Web. 31 May 2018.

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KEYNOTE PRESENTATIONSGlobal conservation of dugongDonna Kwan is the Programme Officer for CMS Dugong MOU. The MoU is guided by the Dugong Conservation and Management Plan (CMP)3, which was developed to support the implementation of the Dugong MOU. CMP aims towards the conservation, research of dugongs and seagrasses, awareness and education, cross-cutting issues and enhancing cooperation on national, regional and international scales. 4

Donna Kwan provided a keynote presentation on global dugong conservation, summarising the experiences of the CMS Dugong MOU Secretariat in the implementation of the Dugong MOU. She noted that 26 of the world’s 46 dugong range states are signatories to the CMS Dugong MOU, and that the conservation of both dugong and seagrass is best achieved through community-based initiatives, since over 91% of dugong range states are developing or least developed countries.5

She emphasised that the Dugong and Seagrass Research Toolkit6 developed by the CMS Dugong MOU Secretariat in collaboration with the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi highlights a number of valuable tools and techniques for dugong and seagrass conservation. The Toolkit provides support to decide on the appropriate tools or techniques to use to undertake research, and provides guidelines on the standardised methods that could be used. The Secretariat has developed a number of other useful conservations tools, in particular the CMS Dugong MOU Standardised Catch and By-Catch Questionnaire (CMS Dugong MOU Questionnaire)7 and refers to two papers for advice on the collection and storage of genetic materials, one for procedures for the salvage and necropsy of the dugong8 and the other for dugong genetic sequencing9. Over 7,000 Questionnaires have been distributed and completed in 20 countries, and they have provided critical information on the hotspot areas where conservation efforts should be focused.

Lessons learned from the GEF-5 Dugong and Seagrass Conservation Project, which is due for completion by the end of 2018, include:

The importance of long-term engagement with communities; The significance of healthy seagrass meadows for food security for many

communities; The need for national and regional government support for successful conservation

initiatives; The need for technical guidance from experienced practitioners; and Awareness-raising needs to be tailored to the needs of individual communities.

3 https://www.cms.int/dugong/sites/default/files/publication/Dugong_CMP_Eng.pdf. Web. 30 May 2018.4 www.cms.int/species/dugong. 03 Mar 2018. Web. 24 May 2018. 5 https://www.cms.int/dugong/en/signatories-range-states. 03 Mar 2018. Web. 24 May 2018.6 www.conservation.tools. Web. 24 May 2018. 7 https://www.cms.int/dugong/en/news/standardised-dugong-catchby-catch-questionnaire-available-now. Web. 30 May 2018. 8 Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. http://elibrary.gbrmpa.gov.au/jspui/bitstream/11017/403/1/Procedures-for-the-salvage-and-necropsy-of-the-Dugong-Dugong-Dugon.pdf. Jun 2007. Web. 22 May 2018. 9 Convention of Migratory Species. https://www.cms.int/sites/default/files/document/cms-dugong_mos3_inf8_dugong-genetics.pdf. Web. 22 May 2018.

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Future priorities for the CMS Dugong MOU Secretariat are centred on the conservation of seagrass ecosystem services and the establishment of business models to provide sustainable funding for conservation and alternative livelihoods for communities.

“By building local community capacity to protect, monitor, restore and conserve seagrass ecosystem services, using community based/participatory methods, we are also working towards effective dugong conservation. Business models such as ecotourism or aquaculture can provide sustainable funding for conservation, with a portion of profits going back into conservation of seagrass ecosystem services and dugongs, and a portion going towards sustainable development to improved livelihoods and create economic opportunity,” stated Dr. Kwan.

The Dugong MOU Secretariat currently has a bid under consideration by the German Government’s International Climate Initiative (IKI) Fund for activities in South-East Asia to follow on from the GEF-5 Project.

Global conservation of seagrassLen McKenzie is the Principal Research and Seagrass-Watch Director. Seagrass-Watch is a dedicated group of scientists, technicians and assistants. The team conducts monitoring, interprets data, provides feedback on the programme's results and produces scientific documents/papers.10

Len briefly summarised the key reasons for increased attention to be paid to seagrass conservation:

Seagrass accounts for 11-12% of the carbon sequestered by the ocean; Approximately 58% of seagrass meadows globally have been lost; Seagrasses are poorly mapped (325,000 km2 of seagrass have been mapped globally,

but the true area could be up to 600,000 km2); Seagrass conservation is impacted by a range of direct and indirect threats, including

climate change, habitat loss and poorly-managed coastal development; 11 of the 22 species of seagrass are found in the Pacific; Only 2,500 km2 of seagrass have been mapped in the Pacific and reliable estimates of

the true extent are impossible at this time; Only 66 km2 of seagrass have been mapped in the Solomon Islands and the true

extent is probably considerably greater; and Conversely, the 1,200 km2 estimate for Vanuatu is probably an overestimate.

Seagrass-Watch has partners around the world and attempts to balance the needs of conservation with community needs, utilising complementary citizen science such as Seagrass Spotter11. Seagrass-Watch can also be accessed via the Dugong and Seagrass Research Toolkit to assess the most promising areas for more detailed surveying in the SPREP region.

Overview of the GEF-5 Dugong and Seagrass Conservation Project Maya Bankova-Todorova is the Project Coordinator of the GEF-5 Dugong and Seagrass Conservation Project. The DSCP’s goal is to improve the conservation status of dugongs and their seagrass habitats across the Indian and Pacific Ocean basins.12

10 http://www.seagrasswatch.org/team.html. Web. 31 May 2018. 11 https://seagrassspotter.org/. 12 http://www.dugongconservation.org/. Web. 22 May 2018.

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The Project has US$5.88 million budgeted for work in 8 countries, involving 27 partners and 39 projects. The Project covers 120 local sites across the eight countries.

The Project builds on four work components, around which conservation efforts are organised:

Knowledge; Incentives; Policy; and Awareness & Education

When the Project began in 2015, the baseline was unknown and the policy framework was weak. Most of the communities involved in the Project had few alternatives for generating income and relied heavily on fishing for their livelihoods.

Maya presented the progress of the Project for each work component. The following has so far been achieved under the Knowledge component:

The CMS Dugong MOU Questionnaire has been conducted in all eight countries and the results from it were used to develop maps of dugong distribution and threats;

Seagrass mapping has been carried out in four countries and some of the Project partners used the Seagrass Watch methodology13 (sometimes a modified version of it);

Drone surveys have been carried out in three countries to confirm the presence of dugongs and for initial research of seagrass beds;

Maps of seagrass distribution which overlap with dugong distribution and threats have been developed for all eight countries, and in some cases were used to identify Project dugong hotspots; and

Smartphone Apps14,15 have been developed in two countries to report sightings of marine mammals.

Two success stories under the Knowledge component included the delivery of more than 500 questionnaires in Vanuatu, despite the challenging geography and the limited budget available to the implementing partner; and the active involvement of the marine park management authorities in research and monitoring in Mozambique.

The Incentives component included activities on establishing/strengthening community-based monitoring and management of Project dugong areas, and on introducing incentives/alternative livelihoods that would decrease the pressure on seagrass and dugongs from fishing. Community-based monitoring/management and the incentives were supported by capacity building and awareness raising, which involved the youth and women, equally.

120 community-based management structures have been established for management and monitoring in 60 regional sites. For example, one of the partners in Madagascar16 established 14 community-based monitoring groups and each community group has a set of restrictions and regimes, regulating fishing activities and seasons, and protecting seagrass beds and dugongs. Another example was provided from Mannar, Sri Lanka, where the

13 http://www.seagrasswatch.org/manuals.html. Web. 22 May 2018. 14 Marine mammal monitoring application developed by Department of Wildlife Conservation – Sri Lanka.15 http://www.seafariapp.org/.16 Madagascar National Parks Samalaza (COSAP).

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Project supported the establishment of the first ever formally recognised community conservation groups.

To promote sustainable fisheries practices, the Project has introduced eight models of income generation for communities in four countries so far, including ecotourism volunteering and aquaculture. Four models have been trialled to deliver social benefits back to communities, with the involvement of women central to all models.

Two success stories shared during the presentation included the introduction of batik facility and capacity building for local women in Sri Lanka17 and the development of duck farms in Madagascar18.

Policy has been the most challenging component of the Project:

Two countries have updated their National Action Plans (NAPs); Vanuatu has incorporated data from the Project into its national Marine Spatial

Planning exercise; and The National Facilitating Committees have been a valuable forum for the

development of policy.

Examples of good practices were provided from Indonesia19 and Sri Lanka20, where the National Facilitating Committees developed under the Project have been formally recognised by the Government and will continue to serve as a platform for coordination and planning of dugong conservation after the Project.

Regarding the fourth Project component, Awareness & Education, Maya stated that four million people had been reached through media campaigns, including via six Facebook accounts and a Project website. She said that in Indonesia, a local movie star has become the Project Ambassador21 and this has mobilised many other young people to inquire about and join the Project cause.

Another shared success came from Madagascar22, where the marine conservation training with Junior Eco-Guards conceptualised and promoted by one of the Project partners was formally integrated into the secondary school curriculum.

The most important lessons learned, as shared by Maya, included:

Having a reliable baseline, which informs all other aspects of the Project; Using standardised methodologies; Agreed protocols for data sharing and ownership; The involvement of businesses and business models; The role of social media; Adhering to budgets; and Efficient administration.

COUNTRY STATUS REPORTS

17 Turtle Conservation Project (TCP).18 Community Centred Conservation (C-3).19 Directorate of Conservation and Marine Biodiversity (DG) and Marine Spatial Management (MMAF).20 Department Wildlife Conservation.21 World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) Indonesia.22 C-3 Madagascar.

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Countries provided a brief summary of the status and trends of dugong and seagrass in each of the range states represented at the workshop. An opportunity to present a more detailed account of the work underway in their country was provided later in the agenda.

New CaledoniaLaure Luneau is the Dugong Action Plan Coordinator for Conservation of Natural Habitats of New Caledonia (Conservatoire d’Espaces Naturels de Nouvelle-Caledonie (CEN)). CEN includes different non-governmental organisations (NGOs)23 and technical agencies24, as well as both North and South Provinces, and it provides a linkage for stakeholder cooperation.

Seagrass is the most representative coastal habitat in New Caledonia and is reasonably well mapped;

Because of New Caledonia’s extensive coastline and the frequency of cyclones and other storm events, it is hard to differentiate between human and natural impacts on seagrass; and

Dugongs are likely to be declining, but two earlier aerial surveys gave very different abundance estimates, and a new survey is planned to establish whether the more recent survey (which indicated a much smaller population of 700-800 animals) was the more accurate.

PalauFabio Seksei is the Fisheries Coordinator for the Palau Conservation Society (PSC). PSC works to empower local communities to steward Palau’s environment. They have four programmes: Conservation and Protected Areas, Policy and Planning, Communication and Outreach, and Administration and Development.25

There is very little information on the size of the dugong population in Palau, but it is considered to be between 50-100 animals;

Palau is the only country in Micronesia with a dugong population; The local name is mesekiu; and Dugongs in Palau are the most genetically-isolated population in the world.

Solomon IslandsChelcia Gomese is the National Facilitator for WorldFish Solomon Islands. WorldFish is an international, non-profit research organization that harnesses the potential of fisheries and aquaculture to reduce hunger and poverty.26

A survey in 2009 recorded sightings and occurrences in north-east Choiseul, Honiara Bay, Malaita, Marovo Lagoon, Isabel Province, and Western Province;

Ten seagrass species have been identified, and they are confident there are more species present. The largest seagrass meadow is in Malaita province;

Dugong is a species of high cultural significance, and is generally not consumed; and

23 South and North Provinces, Service of French Ministry of Environment, French Biodiversity Agency, WWF, Institute of Research for Development Operations Cetaceans (IRD), a New Caledonian Association for Marine Mammals, and the Aquarium of Noumea. 24 Murdoch University.25 www.palauconservation.org/. Web. 23 May 2018. 26 https://www.worldfishcenter.org/tags/solomon-islands. Web. 23 May 2018.

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The key issues are lack of comprehensive spatial mapping, centralised database, community management plans, and enforcement at national, provincial and community levels.

Vanuatu Christina Shaw is the Chief Executive Officer of the Vanuatu National Facilitating Committee (VESS), which includes representatives of the Departments of Fisheries & Environment, and a representative of local community initiatives. VESS promotes science in the fields of conservation, environmental protection and sustainable development within Vanuatu.27

Vanuatu is an archipelago in the South Pacific, with a narrow band of seagrass and dugongs in several locations;

Vanuatu signed the CMS Dugong MOU in 2010. The distribution of dugong is known, but the population abundance is unknown;

A survey was carried out in 1987 to assess distribution, abundance, cultural importance and threats. At least 20 dugongs were sighted, but the population is thought to be significantly larger;

There is limited information on the distribution of seagrass, 13 species of which have been reported from Vanuatu waters.

CULTURAL ROLE OF DUGONGDugongs have an important cultural role in the Pacific range states and the day closed with a discussion about how to make sure that we can conserve dugong and seagrass as well as conserving the cultural aspects.

Donna Kwan spoke about the Torres Strait region, located between Australia and Papua New Guinea, which has a strong Melanesian culture, where the right to hunt dugongs is guaranteed by the Torres Strait Treaty, and significant hunting is legally undertaken. Helene Marsh28 has conducted considerable research which has involved a review of archaeological data. Torres Strait is the dugong capital of the world: 17,000 km2, with an estimated population of 28,000 dugongs. Using the Potential Biological Removal (PBR) method, the current take of around 1,000 dugongs per annum is sustainable, and archaeological data has shown that the population abundance has not changed significantly over time.

There is considerable investment in community rangers in the Torres Strait region, and local people are encouraged to manage their own resources. Community-based management and cultural tools are recognised by the Torres Strait and Australian governments, and the communities make decisions on how dugongs are to be hunted and how many are required to satisfy the nutritional requirement (assessed as 290 grams per person/per day in one particular community)29. Donna believes that Torres Strait is an example of the cultural value of dugongs and the importance of integrating those values into management.

Dugongs are long-lived and slow-breeding, and Donna advised that while the large Torres Strait population can withstand a significant take, the PBR indicates that the sustainable

27 https://www.vanuatuconservation.org/. Web. 23 May 2018. 28 Helene Marsh is Distinguished Professor of Environmental Science and the Dean of Graduate Research Studies at James Cook University. Her qualifications include BSc (Queensland) and PhD (JCU). The focus of her research has been dugong population ecology. 29 Kwan, Donna & Marsh, Helene & Delean, Steven. (2006). Factors influencing the sustainability of customary dugong hunting by a remote indigenous community. Environmental Conservation. 33. 10.1017/S0376892906002992.

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human caused mortality per year for a smaller population of 100 dugongs would be zero. Where the population abundance of dugong is not accurately known, therefore, it’s better to focus on conservation, rather than sustainable take, especially when numbers are low.

Agnetha noted that at the current time, the Solomon Islands cannot completely ban the consumption of dugongs. Raising awareness of dugong is of prime importance at this stage, rather than highlighting the negative impacts of hunting.

Donna said that it was important for the Solomon Islands Government and their agencies to promote what dugongs mean to them. It was especially important to use dugong as an indicator for the health of the environment.

Jayven Ham (Fisheries Biologist for the Vanuatu Fisheries Department30) and Christina noted that although there are bans on killing of dugongs in Vanuatu, exceptions may be made occasions of cultural significance, although this is now very rarely used. Instead of hunting dugongs for such events, there is a dugong-themed dance.

Fabio stated that dugong used to be hunted in Palau for special cultural events such as the induction of a new chief. This is now prohibited because of low numbers, and caramelised nuts that are shaped into dugongs are used instead.

Maya mentioned that the global Project has commissioned an expert to develop a framework for a scoping study of the cultural significance of dugongs and seagrass across the eight Project countries.

Agnetha commented that awareness-raising is a priority and is slowly being integrated into the government strategy. It is known that dugongs are accidentally caught as bycatch, and that if a dugong is caught it will be eaten. Dugong meat does appear in the market, but only rarely. Dugongs are considered by communities to be a nuisance, because they tip over boats. MECDM and the Ministry of Fisheries want to gazette dugongs into Fisheries law, and to promote an improvement in collaborated and consistent information.

30 The Vanuatu Fisheries Department (VFD) is the government body charged with the implementation and enforcement of fisheries management laws, policies, regulations and principles under the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Forestry, Fisheries and Biosecurity (MALFFB). The mission VFD of Vanuatu is “to ensure sustainable management, development and conservation of fish resources in order to achieve maximum social and economic benefits to Vanuatu for the present and future generations”. https://fisheries.gov.vu/. Web. 31 May 2018.

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DAY 2

Len McKenzie recapped Day One. He noted that research does necessarily require complicated and expensive equipment, and that much valuable conservation work can be done by willing volunteers at minimal cost. It is vital, however, to ask the right question/s and to use standardised techniques such as those in the Dugong and Seagrass Research Toolkit to answer key question/s. The focus for Day Two would be to find the key gaps in the research of dugongs and their habitats, and to develop a plan for filling those gaps.

REPORTS ON PROJECT PROGRESSBoth Project countries (Solomon Islands and Vanuatu) provided detailed presentations on the progress achieved over the past three years. New Caledonia and Palau presented on their recent work on dugong and seagrass.

Solomon IslandsChelcia Gomese noted that although the CMS Dugong MOU Questionnaire had been distributed, there had been little incentive for communities to participate, and the response had been disappointing, with only 300 collected, none of which have been uploaded into the data sheet. It was planned to put considerable effort into deploying staff around the country, with the objective of collecting and analysing the results from a further 700 questionnaires in the next few months, including ad hoc sightings reports.

Education and awareness of the DSCP has been used to influence plans at both the national and community level, with the objective of using traditional management to regain community appreciation for the dugong. For example, the Project was featured at the National Resource Management Symposium in 2017, including a dance performed by the inhabitants of Lau Lagoon, which has the largest expanse of seagrass in the country, and a local artist31 produced a poster32 on the conservation of seagrass and dugong. A notable result was the inclusion of seagrass in the management plan for the Locally Marine Managed Areas (LMMAs) at Chubikopi, in January 2018.

In terms of policy, a management strategy for dugong and seagrass was included in the 2018 Fisheries Regulations draft, which is still in development. Although previous versions of the Fisheries Regulations have been silent on the protection of the dugong, three dugong killings in Gizo in 2016, including a high-profile event that generated significant social media attention. This prompted MECDM and the Ministry of Fisheries to release a media statement saying that the take of dugongs was ‘not encouraged’.

Lessons learned from DSCP so far include:

The Project partners could have engaged better with the National Facilitating Committee and Project activities should have been more of a part of National Government programmes;

More information-sharing could have taken place with other governments; and Better platforms could have been established for data sharing with government

agencies.

Priorities for 2018 are:

31 John Limaito’o. 32 http://pubs.iclarm.net/resource_centre/Solomon-Islands-Lau-Lagoon-Map-Poster.pdf. Web. 31 May 2018.

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Distribution, completion and analysis of CMS Dugong MOU Questionnaires; More products to raise awareness amongst high school students; Training workshops to promote monitoring at key sites; and Development of a national management plan for dugong and seagrass. Completion

of the policy brief for integrating dugong and seagrass conservation into Fisheries Regulations

VanuatuChristina Shaw noted that conducting the CMS Dugong MOU Questionnaire surveys in Vanuatu, in 193 sites on 32 islands in all 6 Provinces, was both expensive and logistically challenging. Nonetheless, the Questionnaire was answered by 530 respondents, although only 62 were women, reflecting the primary role played by men in offshore fishing activities.

Analysis of the replies provided extremely valuable information, on the basis of which:

20 dugong hotspots were identified, of which:- Six were ranked as high priority;- Nine were ranked as medium priority; and- Five were ranked as low priority.

69 maps of dugong sightings and seagrass habitat were produced; 1433 sightings of dugongs were reported – 895 of these were between 2015 and

2017; and 116 reports of dead dugongs were received:

- 44 due to unknown causes;- 28 caught in gillnets;- 13 stranded (often calves); and- 12 hunted (although only four in the past 10 years).

Analysis of the threats from fishing indicated that 30% of fishers use gillnets, and 56% of them regularly leave their nets unattended, including overnight.

It was also noted that because there have been some well-known cases of ‘friendly’ dugongs in Vanuatu, there is now a pressure to encourage tourist opportunities, with two established tours in Santo and Malekula, and some resorts trying to attract dugongs to their area as a tourist attraction.

A number of awareness-raising products were developed, including: 1,500 booklets on dugong and seagrass; 33

2,500 posters on dugong34 and seagrass35; and A dugong exhibition at the National Library.

Policy outputs included:

33 https://www.vanuatuconservation.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Bislama-Dugong-and-their-seagrass-habitat-mor-smol.pdf. Apr 2016. Web. 23 May 2018. 34 https://www.vanuatuconservation.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Kaofish-facts.pdf. Apr 2016. Web. 23 May 2018. 35 https://www.vanuatuconservation.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Gras-blong-solwota-mor-smol.pdf. Apr 2016. Web. 23 May 2018.

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Data and maps generated by the Project were used in the development of Vanuatu’s National Ocean Policy and in associated Marine Spatial Planning exercises;

Guidelines were developed for tourism and boat operators; and A National Plan on Dugong is in preparation.

The GEF-5 funds have also leveraged further funding for seagrass training, from the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF).

Challenges include:

A lack of scientific and technical support (the University of the South Pacific does not have a Science Programme in Vanuatu);

A lack of capacity to write bids to seek additional funding; and The difficulties that can be raised by customary tenure, which makes recognition of

Protect Area status problematic.

Christina believes that the overall success of the Project can be attributed to: The efforts of the National Facilitating Committee; Access to international technical expertise through the CMS Dugong MOU

Secretariat; Government support; Support from Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), providing

an intern who worked hard to make the Project a success; Leveraging additional funding from Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF); and Support from CEFAS.

REPORTS ON ACTIVITIES IN OTHER RANGE STATES PalauFabio Siksei recalled that the dugong population in Palau is the most isolated one in the world. Dugongs are fully protected in Palau, and there are significant penalties for deliberate take or injury. However the most significant threat was poaching. He also noted that there are at least 10 species of seagrass, and that declines are apparent in Koror and Ngchesar. Seagrass meadows are only protected in Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), and conservation is hampered by limited capacity and limited data. Additionally there is no focal point for the Endangered Marine Species programme, although a dugong awareness campaign and an aerial survey using drones are planned to begin in 2018, to be implemented by Coral Reef Research Foundation, Etpison Museum and the Bureau of Marine Resources.

Tourism has grown rapidly in recent years, and is managed through the Responsible Tourism Framework. The Palau Marine Sanctuary covers the entire Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) , and only 10% of the EEZ is open for fishing and only by domestic vessels. All foreign fishing vessels are prohibited from fishing in the Sanctuary. Palau has recently introduced the Palau Pledge36 – all visitors are required to honour the Pledge and uphold various laws, including the protection of dugong. A Palau Pristine Paradise Environmental Fee (PPEF)37 is applied to all international airline tickets to support the objectives of the Pledge and the Pew Charitable Trusts’ Palau Ocean Legacy project.

36 https://palaupledge.com/37 According to the Republic of Palau Public Law (RPPL) No. 10-16, which took into effect on 1 January 2018, the PPEF is USD $100.

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New CaledoniaLaure Luneau explained that New Caledonia has the world’s biggest lagoon, and an extensive reef system with a large species assemblage. The governance structure is complex, and because dugongs are mainly found within the lagoon, their conservation and management is largely the responsibility of the Provincial Governments, with little involvement by the National Government.

The dugong population is large but fragile and is assumed to be both geographically and genetically isolated, although there have been no genetic studies of the linkages to Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands.

The New Caledonia Action Plan is a framework for collaboration between these agencies to improve knowledge, raise awareness and to protect dugongs and their seagrass habitat. Dugongs have a high cultural value, including as food at culturally important events. Other sources of mortality include by-catch from gillnets and boat strikes.

Dugong abundance was estimated by two aerial surveys of the entire coastline in 2003 and 2008, resulting in widely different population estimates:

In 2003, the population size was estimated to comprise 2026 individuals (+/- 553)

In 2008, the population size was estimated to comprise 606 individuals (+/- 200)

Four further surveys were conducted in 2011 and 2012 on the west coast and in the north-east corner, where most sightings were made. They generally indicated that the 2008 estimate was the more likely. The current population is therefore assumed to be between 700-800 individuals.

Awareness-raising has been directed towards the media and schools.

Threats are not well assessed, but poaching is thought to be a significant source of mortality. Regulations in both Province Nord and Province Sud provide substantial penalties for harassment of dugong. The New Caledonia Dugong Action Plan encourages reports of dugongs in distress and other sightings.

Priorities are:

A new aerial survey to estimate population abundance – this will probably be the last one to be conducted by aircraft. In the future, it is anticipated that drones will be used in the hotspot areas;

Raising awareness of the threat posed by poaching and trying to get a better understanding of the likely scale of poaching.

Laure noted that she would be very pleased to pass on requests from range states for technical assistance in planning and implementing aerial surveys and other types of technical collaboration, including genetic analysis of tissue samples from dugong in Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands.

REPORTS ON OTHER RELEVANT ACTIVITIESThe following additional research reports were presented:

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Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) Michelle Devlin is the Lead Scientist for the Commonwealth Marine Economies Programme (CMEP). CMEP is a UK Government funded programme which includes the leading research institutes of CEFAS, the National Oceanographic Centre (NOC), and the UK Hydrographic Office. The programme is designed to support sustainable growth of Commonwealth Small Island Developing States (SIDS) by capacity building and providing technical expertise. CMEP has a strong communications portfolio. 38

CEFAS is mainly operative in CMEP programmes in the Caribbean and Pacific islands and have identified a number of key gaps and areas of opportunity. CEFAS is currently working in Fiji, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, and will soon begin work in Samoa. There are 11 key projects39 packaged in a climate change overlay. The partnership includes MOUs with University of the South Pacific and SPREP, and covers the local to national to regional scale. Key areas are:

- Ocean Pollution – assessment of coastal ecosystems;- Water quality – e.g. Port Vila Project (bring gear to country, build a lab and leave

gear at end of Project);- Resilience frameworks – bringing together habitat mapping, blue carbon, water

quality, etc to identify risk at local to country level for SIDS, based on Solomon Islands and Vanuatu work; and

- Through validation of site specific data, can scale up to predict larger areas of habitat mapping/ecosystem health.

Plastics marine pollution, seagrass mapping and a climate change report card are all of particular relevance to the DSCP.

CEFAS’ work includes satellite imagery and ground-truthing to investigate seagrass mapping remotely; hydrodynamic modelling to help to understand transport of water and nutrients, pathogens and human health; and training locals in mapping techniques and use of equipment.

Julie Bremner is a Lead Scientist in innovative mapping at CEFAS. She described her work on aerial remote sensing and its potential applications for seagrass mapping.

She said that there are three types of seagrass mapping:

- Satellite (broad-scale, moderate resolution, not very flexible, expensive);- Manned flights (good resolution, flexible, very expensive); and- Drones (great resolution, very flexible, relatively cheap, limited flying conditions).

CEFAS plans to use satellites to locate seagrass beds and drones for ground-truthing and/or closer examination or monitoring. A trial on the north-west corner of Efate, Vanuatu has shown promising results. Drones can provide much more resolution of the vegetation types

38 www.cmeprogramme.org.

39 Coastal water quality and human health -Vanuatu, Solomon Islands; Microplastics and Litter - Vanuatu, Solomon Islands; Vulnerability of Seagrass Carbon Sinks – Vanuatu; 3D model development - Solomon Islands ; Improvements to 3D model - Vanuatu; Innovative Seagrass Habitat Mapping – Vanuatu; WQ, Resilience &; Climate Change Interactions – across program; Socio-Economic Blue Carbon and Cultural Services – Fiji; Climate Change Report Card – across region; Partnerships – across region; and MOU – USP, SPREP.

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in the seagrass meadows, and are likely to work better in shallow beds than deep beds. Developing habitat maps requires an assessment of the density of the beds. Drones can also detect changes in seagrass beds (e.g. caused by boat moorings).

Assessment of seagrass ecosystem services – blue carbon (carbon stored and sequestered in coastal and marine ecosystems) is important because:

- If the amount of carbon sequestered by seagrass beds can be measured, it may result in a valuation that can be traded; and

- An assessment of the economic valuation may indicate any degradation or change in seagrass in economic terms.

Michelle and Julie announced that a Special Issue of the Marine Pollution Bulletin on CMEP work in the region, produced in association with University of the South Pacific, would be coming out this year, with an emphasis on how to better manage marine litter.

University of Queensland Sheridan Rabbitt is a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) candidate of the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Queensland. Her work is on women in Solomon Islands fisheries and food security.

She stated that globally, most fisheries are fully exploited or over-exploited. SIDS in the Pacific are showing one of the strongest declines in fish catches in the world, especially Solomon Islands, where fish provides 92% of protein requirement.

This decline is not only for commercial fisheries, small scale (artisanal and subsistence) are also in decline and are characterised by poor governance and management. There are particular problems around gender equity, especially for women, who are largely involved in invertebrate gleaning, marketing and processing. Despite their vital role in food security, women are poorly represented in senior management40.

Sheridan is working in four villages in Marovo Lagoon, two on the ocean coast and two in the lagoon. Women fish a lot, mainly for smaller fish to feed their families or for barter. Men tend to fish for larger fish offshore. Fisheries management tends to miss these coastal data.

Sheridan is also working on seahorses and pipefish in Moreton Bay, Australia and their association with seagrass, as well as seagrass education and seagrass morphometrics and how that is affected by boat traffic.

University of NewcastleBill Leggat is an Associate Professor in the School of Environmental and Life Sciences at the University of Newcastle, Australia. He has a background in research on the impacts of dredging and coastal development on seagrasses and corals, including climate change impacts on corals on the Great Barrier Reef, where monitoring has shown that stress effects can still be present eight months after a bleaching event. He has been investigating the development of coral disease models for the Pacific islands from satellite imagery.

Bill noted that SPREP and University of Newcastle have an MOU for collaborative work in the Pacific, including:

Climate change resilience; Waste management and clean-up;

40 See: ‘Fall in Fish Catch threatens human health’: NATURE, Golden et al 2016

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Governance and monitoring; and Biodiversity.

He emphasised that the University of Newcastle is among the world’s most reputable universities, and can contribute to the following;

Listening to stakeholders; A Pacific Node of University of Newcastle to be based at SPREP’s campus in Apia with

expertise on:- Marine and ecosystem management;- Environmental remediation;- Medical research; and- Environment and climate change.

Trainings (short courses, PhD, MSc); and A one-stop shop for climate, invasive species and aquaculture.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DUGONG AND SEAGRASS CONSERVATION AND LOCALLY MANAGED MARINE AREAS (LMMAS)A group discussion on the possible relationship with communities to promote dugong and seagrass conservation was initiated by Agnetha Vave-Karamui, who stated that in the Solomon Islands, all sites with some form of community management are considered to be LMMAs.

Agnetha defined the various categories for marine site protection as follows:

Tabu – where the local chief makes the rules around harvesting of marine resources; LMMAs – where an area is defined and there is an agreement on written rules; Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) – where harvesting is controlled by a national or

provincial ordinance; and Marine Conservation Areas – also controlled by a national or provincial ordinance;

Workshop participants noted that there are only a handful 12 LMMAs, as defined above, in Vanuatu, whereas there are 273 in Fiji. The LMMA Network recognises 206 tabu and LMMA sites in the Solomon Islands. In a recent update, MECDM recognised 416 tabu, LMMA and terrestrial sites in the Solomon Islands.

In the Solomon Islands, although the Solomon Islands Locally Managed Marine Areas Network (SILMMA) is an NGO, it is housed within the Ministry of Fisheries, whereas in Fiji, the Fiji Locally Managed Marine Areas Network (FLMMA) is an independent NGO. In Vanuatu, Vanu-a-Tai is an informal network of community-based LMMAs. Both Vanuatu and Solomon Islands have a network of Fisheries Extension Officers. The Environment Division in Solomon Islands has a Protected Area portal, which is linked to the Pacific Islands Protected Area Portal (PIPAP)41 managed by SPREP.

Christina and Jayven said that they would be attending both the Vanu-a-Tai Annual General Meeting and the annual meeting of Fisheries Extension Officers and that they would share the results of this workshop and the Dugong and Seagrass Research Toolkit with participants.

41 www.pipap.org.

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Mike Donoghue noted that the relationship between LMMAs and the GEF-5 Dugong and Seagrass Conservation Project was especially relevant because the 11th European Development Fund (EDF 11) budget, which is administered by SPC and the LMMA network, has a significant amount of money in the Key Result Area 3, that is earmarked to support community-based management of threatened species.

Andrew Halford of SPC’s Coastal Fisheries Section stated that although he had only recently taken up his position, he was very willing to explore opportunities through which SPC could support dugong and seagrass conservation, including through the EDF 11 Pacific-European Union Marine Programme (PEUMP) and training courses. He also thought that there would be synergies with other participants – e.g. with CEFAS on satellite imagery – and that SPC could assist in the development of management plans.

No further information was available for relevant activities undertaken by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) or the Wildlife Trade Monitoring Network (TRAFFIC).

COMMUNITY-BASED INITIATIVES Tetepare Descendants AssociationAllan Bero is the Conservation Manager of the Tetepare Descendants’ Association (TDA). TDA is a registered Solomon Islands charitable organisation with an Executive Committee of elected representatives. The TDA constitution states that their aim is to unite Tetepare's landowners to manage and conserve Tetepare and its natural resources for the benefit of present and future generations descended from Tetepare Island.42

Allan described some of the activities promoted on Tetepare by the 3000+ members of TDA. There are community-based monitoring programmes in operation for several species, including Trochus, coconut crabs, turtles, seagrass and dugongs.

Seagrass monitoring follows the Seagrass Watch protocols and is one of the core activities on the island. There are 27 sites, 18 inside the island’s MPA and nine outside, which are surveyed every April and October by female monitors. The sites have been monitored since 2008, using a 50 cm by 50 cm quadrat. Seagrass cover has declined over this time.

No surveys have been carried out for dugong and the population size is unknown, but they are fully protected. The highest number of sightings ever reported in the MPA was 11. TDA has collaborated with the Solomon Islands Community Conservation Partnership (SICCP) on the Dugong and Seagrass Conservation Project in Tetepare.

Challenges include the limited funding and human resources, the remoteness of Tetepare and communications (although this may be addressed by the recent erection of a cell phone tower).

Benefits include:

The resource owners manage their own resources; There is employment for residents (including through the SI$600-700 bed nights per

year for eco-tourism and volunteers/visitors to assist with the Projects on Tetepare); Improving the knowledge of the terrestrial and marine ecosystems; and Tetepare is to be registered as a Protected Area (similar to the Arnavon Islands).

42 https://www.tetepare.org/about-tetepare-descendants-association.html. Web. 23 May 2018.

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OTHER POSSIBLE RELATED MARINE PROJECT INITIATIVES Mike Donoghue is the former43 Threatened and Migratory Species Adviser at the SPREP. SPREP is an intergovernmental organisation (IGO) that represents 26 member countries and territories44, and is charged with protecting and managing the environment and natural resources of the Pacific to promote sustainable development.45

Mike led a short discussion on other related initiatives that may be relevant to the GEF Dugong and Seagrass Conservation Project in the future, viz. IKI, Blue Belt, EDF 11.

IKIThe IKI fund is administered by the German Ministry for the Environment (BMUB) and invites applications for blue carbon initiatives and biodiversity conservation. Substantial bids from both the CMS Dugong MOU Secretariat and SPREP (for South-East Asia and the Pacific islands respectively) have passed the pre-proposal stage and are expected to be approved shortly. When approved, there will be opportunities for synergies, especially for seagrass studies and conservation initiatives.

Blue BeltSPREP is currently managing an International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)/European Union (EU) grant in the three French Territories in the Pacific islands. Although seagrass and endangered species are part of the portfolio of projects, the amount of funding is modest. However, New Caledonia may be able to leverage some support.

EDF 11 - PEUMPThe eleventh round of funding of the European Development Fund supports the PEUMP, which will be administered by SPC and has a strong emphasis on coastal fisheries. SPREP has the responsibility for implementing a programme to reduce by-catch of threatened species, especially turtles, in fisheries and to promote the conservation of coastal biodiversity.

SPC and SPREP will be jointly responsible for collaborating on community-based protection of threatened and endangered species in five countries, including Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.

While turtles have been the main focus of the potential projects under consideration thus far, there is an opportunity to use EDF 11 funding, in association with the LMMA network, to support initiatives for community-based protection and conservation of seagrass and dugongs as part of the PEUMP programme. Andrew Halford (SPC) and Mike Donoghue (SPREP) agreed to discuss this further in the near future.

BIOPAMABiodiversity and Protected Areas Management Programme Phase 2 (BIOPAMA2) is an initiative of the African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) Group of States financed by the EDF 11, jointly implemented by IUCN and the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission (JRC).46 It is implemented in partnership with IUCN’s Oceania Regional Office (IUCN ORO)

43 effective from March 201844 American Samoa, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, Northern Marianas, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Wallis & Futuna.45 https://www.sprep.org/about-us. Web. 23 May 2018.46 https://www.biopama.org/.

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and SPREP. The Project started in late 2017 and will continue for six years. One of the key ways BIOPAMA2 may be able to support seagrass and dugong conservation is the EU$6M in action grants for the region.

The Project will continue to improve the quality of baseline information for protected areas which is so necessary for their effective management and good governance. There will also be a call for proposals for small and large grants to support targeted actions associated with terrestrial, coastal and marine protected areas in priority locations in all 15 Pacific ACP countries.

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DAY 3

Mike Donoghue opened Day 3 with a short summary of what he considered to be the common themes from the presentations received on Day 2, as follows:

IMPROVE KNOWLEDGE None of the Pacific island range states is confident that they know the size or trends

of their dugong population with any real confidence; Only New Caledonia is reasonably confident that it has a reliable estimate of the size

of its seagrass meadows; Emerging technologies may provide opportunities for cost-effective seagrass

mapping; Make better use of Dugong and Seagrass Research Toolkit; Genetic samples using the Dugong MOU Genetics Protocol need to be taken at every

opportunity for all populations and analysed at an approved institution; Drones may be an emerging tool for affordable aerial surveys; but A widely-distributed and well-analysed CMS Dugong MOU Questionnaire will

effectively identify hotspots for closer examination.

THREAT ASSESSMENT By-catch unquantified in most countries – fisheries best placed to produce a more

reliable assessment, guided by Questionnaire results; Impact of boat strike generally uncertain; and Climate change impacts on seagrass unclear, but seagrass is important plant to

mitigate climate change impacts, especially ocean acidification.

ENGAGE COMMUNITIES Customary tenure system dictates that this is the best route for achieving positive

results; Dugong have cultural significance in many communities; Most communities are positively inclined towards dugong and are relatively easily

convinced about value of protecting seagrass meadows, but central government may need to be convinced – ecosystem services argument is central;

Potential for ecotourism important; Without community support, conservation of dugong and seagrass is much harder;

and LMMA network potentially important.

POLICY AND LEGISLATION Besides dedicated Fisheries and Environment legislation, conservation of dugong and

seagrass can be achieved through National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs), NAPs, etc.;

Use climate change legislation and ecosystem services argument to protect seagrass; and

Some range states still lack clear legislation and policy to protect dugong and seagrass; but high-profile events can be used to promote legislative change.

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OUTREACH AND AWARENESS Booklets, posters, and other creative artworks can all promote strong messaging; Use social media to promote discussion; Involve teachers and schools; and Emphasize critical status of the dugong and ecological role of seagrass.

DISCUSSION GROUPS ON FINAL YEAR WORKPLANSThe workshop then spilt into two groups (dugong and seagrass) to discuss the work plans for Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands during the final year of the Project. Key points were as follows:

SeagrassThe key conclusions for recommended actions were as follows:

Strengthen local government’s role in the conservation of seagrass; Improve both the quantity and the quality of seagrass monitoring; Improve the communications and information exchange between stakeholders,

including through collaborations such as MOUs; Develop sustainable livelihood opportunities from conservation of seagrass

meadows, including alternative protein sources (see the presentation by Gary Jenkins of EnerGaia);

Improve outreach and awareness-raising, especially to schools and fishing communities; and

Strengthen the role of civil society nationally.

DugongThe direct threats to dugong were considered to be as follows:

Hunting for cultural uses; Opportunistic take (e.g for the resident Asian population with a taste for exotic

meats or to feed an entire village in times of hardship); By-catch in gillnets; Boat strike; and Tourism – inappropriate behaviour around dugongs and the desire by some resorts

to attract ‘tame’ dugongs.

Actions proposed to address these issues include:

Developing a better understanding of cultural values; Enforcement of tabu through a variety of mechanisms, including LMMAs; Increasing awareness at all levels; Developing strengthened legislation; Addressing personnel shortages in government agencies; Tackling boat strike by:

- Better reporting and data collection;- Raising awareness of the possibility of boat strike in seagrass areas, where

dugongs are found;- Developing a code of conduct for tourism operators; and

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- Developing regulations regarding boat speed in areas where dugongs are regularly reported.

Addressing by-catch in gillnets by:- Raising awareness of the threat posed to dugong by gillnets;- Collecting better data than that provided by the Questionnaire;- Investigating the relationship between mesh size and dugong entanglement; and- Requiring fishers to stay close to their nets and prohibiting overnight sets.

Figure 1 provides a visualisation of a dugong and seagrass conservation conceptual model in the region. (see Annex for expanded view)

During the ensuing discussion, a number of important issues were raised:

The Solomon Islands Ministry of Fisheries needs communications materials on dugong and seagrass for its outreach programme, and recalled that SPC had formally produced a very helpful poster. Andrew Halford said that he would follow up. There was a consensus that all stakeholders needed to exchange communications materials.

It was agreed that range state governments should write to SPREP, SPC and CMS Dugong MOU Secretariat requesting communications materials. This could assist in releasing funds from the PEUMP programme.

For those range states who are members of the Commonwealth (Solomon Islands and Vanuatu), it was also suggested that it would be helpful if briefings and possible draft interventions were prepared for the delegations who would be attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in London, in April 2018, expressing appreciation for the CEMP programme and the contributions of CEFAS.

It was recommended that SPREP refresh their website to promote the Dugong Action Plan 2018-2022.

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CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOREnerGaiaGary Jenkins is a representative of EnerGaia. Based in Bangkok, Thailand, EnerGaia specializes in producing fresh and sustainable algae products. Focused on making Spirulina a part of daily diets and utilizing otherwise unusable space and land to cultivate healthy food, the EnerGaia team is tackling nutritional and environmental problems that plague the cities and residents of the world.47

Gary described the efforts of his company to promote community resilience, food security (protein production), and income through the cultivation of spirulina by communities.

EnerGaia is expanding its presence in the Pacific islands, in particular in the Solomon Islands, and is eager to explore opportunities to promote spirulina production and to link with communities who want to protect dugong and seagrass meadows.

47 http://energaia.com/. Web. 23 May 2018.

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DAY 4

COLLABORATION BETWEEN RANGE STATES

Research

Dugong abundance estimatesNew Caledonia is planning a 13-day aerial survey by aircraft to obtain a dugong population estimate. It will probably be the last national survey by aeroplane – future surveys are likely to be conducted by drones and will be much cheaper. The cost of designing the survey was 20,000 Euros, and a further 50,000 Euros will be required for the aircraft. The survey is planned for late 2018/early 2019 and will focus on the west coast and south-east corner of New Caledonia, which is prime dugong habitat.

Vanuatu is planning a national survey by drone, using a survey design developed by Amanda Hodgson and Christophe Cleguer of the CMS Dugong MOU Dugong Technical Group, and supported by GEF-5 DSCP and CEPF. There will be opportunities for training other Pacific island researchers when Christophe visits Vanuatu to train the operators for their survey. Fixed-wing drones are generally more robust, but require open areas to take off and land. Bathymetry maps are essential in planning survey design, because there is no point in surveying waters that are more than 50 m deep.

It was agreed that CEFAS, SPC, UK Hydrographic Office and SPC were all identified as potential partners in future surveying Projects.

Seagrass mappingLen McKenzie stressed that it is important to consider what you want to find out before you plan any mapping, and that all the necessary information for seagrass mapping is contained in the Dugong and Seagrass Research Toolkit.

Necropsy and GeneticsDonna Kwan advised that the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) has produced a detailed dugong necropsy manual48 and has been working on a shortened version, as has the University of Queensland, which is also developing a guide on how to deal with stranded neonates. Donna said that she would distribute a sampling protocol for genetic analysis, and a link to the materials needed for a stranding kit. The most important thing is to store any skin sample in Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), freeze it, or fix in paraformaldehyde for 12-24 hours and then refrigerate.

It was observed that Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) funds a deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) laboratory in Palau and that they may be willing to store and/or analyse tissue samples. Vanuatu is working closely with IRD, and Jennifer Seddon at University of Queensland could potentially also analyse samples.

48 Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. http://elibrary.gbrmpa.gov.au/jspui/bitstream/11017/403/1/Procedures-for-the-salvage-and-necropsy-of-the-Dugong-Dugong-Dugon.pdf. Jun 2007. Web. 22 May 2018.

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DatabaseThe Solomon Islands emphasized that there is no national or regional database for archiving community protocols and data collected or guidance for strandings and sampling. Agnetha proposed developing a nationally-branded toolkit for use by communities monitoring dugong and seagrass. It was also suggested that an urgent priority for Solomon Islands is to define the research questions that need to be answered as a priority. Dugong and seagrass research had been flagged as a priority under CEPF, but nobody has yet shown any interest, although the CEPF has contributed significant support for the Vanuatu Project.

ScholarshipsSeveral opportunities were mentioned:

University of Newcastle is offering up to five scholarships for Pacific islands students across a range of disciplines;

The EDF PEUMP Project will fund one young (under 40) Pacific islander to pursue further studies at University for the conservation of threatened species;

Tetepare Descendants’ Association can offer one scholarship per year.

During the ensuing discussion, it was noted that there needed to be more opportunities for graduates as well as Ph.D. students to work with communities on dugong and seagrass conservation; and that capacity-building could be achieved by placing community members and students with experienced practitioners. University of Newcastle agreed to investigate the development of preparatory courses for Pacific island students that had a practical, rather than academic, focus.

Threats

Boat strikeThis is assumed to be a widespread problem, but there is very little data or reliable information, other than a minor incident that was observed in Tetepare, leaving a small wound on a dugong. Donna Kwan noted that the only known mitigation technique was for boats to reduce speed and keep a sharp lookout when transiting known seagrass feeding habitat for dugong. This could be an especially important message for communities involved in dugong and seagrass monitoring.

Gillnet entanglementVESS suggests the development of a Code of Practice to mitigate entanglement of dugong in gillnets. Key elements would include:

Nets must be set correctly, properly weighted and anchored, and of the right mesh size (smaller mesh may be less of an entanglement hazard);

Fishers should be required to stay with their nets once set; No setting of gillnets at night; Avoid setting on seagrass beds where dugongs are known to occur.

Directed takeHarvest for local consumption is a probably a problem in all Pacific range states, but is probably of greatest concern in Papua New Guinea. Donna suggested that reliable data is

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best collected through awareness-raising in schools. Christina said that in Vanuatu, directed take seems to be a rare event.

TourismParticipants were very aware of the potential disturbance to dugongs from poorly-managed tourism operations. Tetepare Descendants’ Association encourage the watching of dugong from land, rather than from boats. In Vanuatu, some resorts are very keen to attract their own semi-resident dugong, but sometimes only succeed in driving them away.

Donna and Christina are in the process of developing a Code of Conduct for behaviour around dugong, based on research undertaken by a volunteer. It is specifically aimed at Vanuatu, but can be adapted as a possible output of the Project.

SPREP DRAFT DUGONG ACTION PLAN 2018-2022As requested by SPREP at the opening of the workshop, participants were invited to review hard copy and propose amendments to SPREP’s draft regional dugong action plan 2018-2022. The amended draft plan was then reviewed on-screen and approved. It is attached as Annex 3.

CLOSING OF WORKSHOPThe workshop closed at 1300 hrs on Thursday, 8 March.

PRESS RELEASEThe meeting approved a draft media release that was later published on the SPREP website:

http://www.sprep.org/biodiversity-ecosystems-management/dugong-and-seagrass-conservation-on-the-agenda-for-pacific-island-range-states

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Annex 1 Workshop Agenda

SUNDAY 4 MARCH

FIELD TRIP TO TETEPARE ISLAND (MAXIMUM 20 PASSENGERS)7 am departure, return at 4 pm

MONDAY 5 MARCH

Agenda Item 1 Welcome by workshop organisers

Housekeeping

Solomon Islands Government official to open the workshop

Nicholas Heard on behalf of MbZ Fund

Donna Kwan on behalf of Dugong Secretariat

Mike Donoghue - SPREP draft Dugong Action Plan 2018-2022

Election of ChairAgenda Item 2 Introductions by

participants1-2 minutes each

Refreshment break and group photoAgenda Item 3 Objectives for workshop

and organisation of business

Chair Adoption of Agenda

Agenda Item 4 Background Global status of dugong and seagrass – why this Project is important (Donna and Len)

GEF/CMS global Project (Maya) Reports on status of dugong and

seagrass in Pacific island range states (country reps: New Caledonia, Palau, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu)

Cultural aspects of dugong and seagrasses and how these might be protected in the future (All)

Reception

TUESDAY 6 MARCH

Housekeeping and Recap Day 1

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UAE dugong movie

Agenda Item 5 Reports on Project progress Solomon Islands – Chelcia and Organising Committee

Vanuatu – Christina and JayvenAgenda Item 6 Reports on activities in

other range states Palau New Caledonia

Agenda Item 7 Reports on other relevant activities

Research reports Other studies Community-based initiatives –

TDA, others Other activities involving

seagrass in range states and other possible related marine Projects (e.g. CMEP, IKI, Blue Belt, EDF 11)

MbZ Fund’s existing Projects in the region and possible future interests (Nicholas)

LunchAgenda Item 8 Discussion on status and

trends of dugong and seagrass in the Pacific islands

What are the lessons learned from other countries for Solomon Islands and Vanuatu

How can SPREP, SPC and Pacific Islands Countries and Territories (PICTs) coordinate on dugong and seagrass activities into the future (post-GEF Project), i.e. 2019 onwards

Agenda Item 9 Contributions from civil society

What can academia, Intergovernmental Organisations (IGOs), NGOs and the private sector bring to the table

Bring out the links and establish networks and coordination

Afternoon teaAgenda Item 10 Synthesis and brainstorming Small Working Groups to

synthesise the information presented so far and to propose ways forward to improve seagrass and dugong conservation in all range state countries and broaden the engagement of all stakeholders.

Report back

WEDNESDAY 7 MARCH

Agenda Item 11 Work plan for final year of Project

Two groups to discuss work plans for Vanuatu and Solomon Islands

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for final year of Project Identify key objectives and

strategy to deliver them Particular attention to be paid to

a work plan for LMMA - what is currently happening?- what could happen?- what are the barriers?

Report backMorning Tea

Agenda Item 12 Solomon Islands National Strategy

Three working groups to develop each of the following: National strategy for dugongs

and seagrass National awareness campaign Dugong and seagrass

conservation activities in the LMMAs

Report backLunch

Agenda Item 13 Pacific islands dugong range state strategy

Group discussion led by SPREP to explore the opportunities for a collaboration amongst range states on research, capacity-building and mitigating threats

Amendments as necessary to SPREP draft Dugong Action Plan 2018-2022

Agenda Item 14 Opportunities 2019 onwards

Consolidate opportunities raised in Agenda Item 8

Brainstorm potential funding sources

THURSDAY 8 MARCH

Agenda Item 15 Any Other Business Media release Workshop assessment

questionnaireComplete drafting of report – by correspondence

Agenda Item 16 Wrap-up and farewells

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Annex 2 Participants List

Name Email Organization TitleNEW CALEDONIA

Laure Luneau cmissionppm@cen.nc Conservatoire d’espaces naturels Nouvelle-Caledonie

Dugong Action Plan Coordinator

PALAUFabio Siksei fsiksei@palauconservation.org Palau Conservation Society Fisheries Coordinator

SOLOMON ISLANDSAnja Nicolay-Grosse Hokamp Anja.nicolay-grosse@giz.de Deutsche Gesellschaft für

Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)Development Adviser

Agnetha Vave-Karamui agnetha.vavekaramui@gmail.com Ministry Of Environment, Climate Change and Disaster Management

Chief Conservation Officer

Ezekiel Leghunau ELeghunau@mecdm.gov.sb Ministry Of Environment, Climate Change and Disaster Management

Wildlife Assistant

Duta Kauhiona dkauhiona@fisheries.gov.sb Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources

Community Based Resource Management Officer

Ivory Akao iakao@fisheries.gov.sb Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources

Principal Fisheries Officer

Corzzierrah Posala kulo.buru@gmail.com Solomon Islands Community Conservation Partnership

Project Coordinator for Dugong and Seagrass Project

Alec Hughes alec@c-m-2.com Solomon Islands DSCP Consultant Coastal Marine Management (CM2)

Allan Tippet Bero tetepare@solomon.com.sb or allanbero72@gmail.com

Tetepare Descendants' Association Conservation Programme Manager

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Name Email Organization TitleChillion Panasasa panasasa.c@gmail.com Western Province (Fisheries &

Environment Officers)Chief Provincial Fisheries Officer-Western Province

Jully Kalamana ju.kalamana26@gmail.com Western Province (Fisheries & Environment Officers)

Environment Officer-Provincial

Chelcia Gomese C.Gomese@cgiar.org WorldFish Solomon Islands National Facilitator

Delvene Boso D.Boso@cgiar.org WorldFish Solomon Islands Country Manager

VANUATUChristina Shaw seashawconservation@gmail.com VESS, Departments of Fisheries &

Environment, representative of local community initiatives

CEO

Jayven Ham jham@vanuatu.gov.vu Vanuatu Fisheries Department Fisheries Biologist

GOVERNMENT AND NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANISATIONSJulie Bremner julie.bremner@cefas.co.uk CEFAS Lead Scientist (Innovative

Mapping)Michelle Devlin michelle.devlin@cefas.co.uk CEFAS Lead Scientist

Maya Bankova-Todorova mbankova@mbzfund.org Mohamed bin Zayed Fund Project Coordinator

Nicolas Heard nheard@mbzfund.org Mohamed bin Zayed Fund Funds Manager

Andrew Halford andrewha@spc.int SPC Senior Coastal Fisheries Scientist

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Name Email Organization TitleAkiko Hamada-Ano akikoh.ext@sprep.org SPREP Coastal and Marine Resource

SpecialistMichael Donoghue michael.donoghue@xtra.co.nz SPREP Threatened and Migratory

Species AdviserTECHNICAL GROUPLeonard McKenzie len.mckenzie@jcu.edu.au Dugong Technical Group (Seagrass) Principal Researcher

Donna Kwan donna.kwan@cms.int CMS Dugong MoU Secretariat Programme Officer

RESEARCH INSTITUTIONSBill Leggat bill.leggat@newcastle.edu.au University of Newcastle NSW Conservation Ecology

SpecialistSheridan Rabbitt sheridan.rabbitt@uqconnect.edu.au Centre for Marine Science PhD Candidate

PRIVATE SECTORGary Jenkins garyjenkins@live.com.au EnerGaia Representative

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Annex 3 SPREP Marine Species Programme 2018-2022 Draft Dugong Action Plan

THEME 1: THREAT REDUCTION

OBJECTIVE 1: Reduce direct and indirect threats to dugong populations, including seagrass habitat loss

Actions Lead Priority

1.1: Identify, assess and evaluate threats and potential threats to dugong populations at the national and regional level.

SPREP/Range States/CMS Dugong MOU Secretariat/NGOs

High

(i) Fisheries Interactions

1.2: Identify the key sources of fisheries mortality for dugong and advise governments on ways reduce to the greatest extent practicable the incidental capture and mortality of dugongs in the course of fishing activities (e.g. spatial and temporal closures and gear modification).

SPREP/Range States/CMS Secretariat/NGOs

High

1.3: Prohibit the use of destructive fishing practices and gears (e.g. blasting and gillnets) in known dugong habitat.

Range State Governments

High

(ii) Directed Take

1.4: Promote compliance with legal frameworks prohibiting the take of dugong.

SPREP/ Range State Govts

High

1.5: Prohibit directed take unless research and monitoring have established reliable abundance estimates and evidence that the dugong population is stable or increasing.

Range State Govts

High

1.6: Promote alternative livelihood programmes, such as guide or boat operators in the tourism sector, for fishermen who take dugongs. Ensure that incentives provided effectively promote the desired conservation action.

SPREP/ Range State Govts

Medium

(iii) Watercraft Strikes/Interactions

1.7: Develop and implement guidelines for responsible watercraft operations.

SPREP/ Range State Govts

High

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1.8: Where hotspots for boat strike have been identified, apply mechanisms to reduce dugong/vessel interaction, e.g. promotion and enforcement of regulations to reduce boat speed to safe levels and spatial and temporal marine areas access restriction.

Range State Govts

High

(iv) Coastal Development

1.9: Protect water quality by promoting sustainable land use practices (including ridge-to-ridge and community-based management) to protect and conserve seagrass meadows.

SPREP/ Range State Govts/Development partners

High

1.10: Ensure EIAs for any coastal development in or immediately adjacent to dugong habitat take account of and mitigate where necessary any impacts on dugongs and seagrass.

SPREP/Range State Govts

High

(v) Pollution/Debris

1.11: Prohibit the discarding of fishing gear, especially nets (ghost nets). Encourage ghost net clearing programmes on beaches/reefs.

Range State Govts/SPREP/CMS Secretariat

High

INDICATORS:

Measures to address identified threats to dugongs implemented. Measures to protect identified seagrass hotspots (e.g. those identified by the CMS

Dugong MOU Standardised Dugong Catch and Bycatch Questionnaire) implemented.

THEME 2: RESEARCH AND MONITORING

OBJECTIVE 1: Improve our understanding of dugong populations and habitats through research and monitoring

Actions Lead Priority

2.1: Identify and prioritise gaps in dugong and seagrass knowledge.

SPREP/CMS Secretariat/Partners

High

2.2: Promote the use of the Dugong and Seagrass Research Toolkit49 to facilitate standardised and

SPREP/CMS Secretariat/

High

49 http://www.conservation.tools34 | P a g e

comparable research. Range State Govts/Partners

2.3: Develop a national dugong mortality database and require reporting of all dugong mortalities, with high penalties for non-report but no penalties for accidental kill.

Range State Govts

High

2.4 Conduct regular (at least every 5 years), replicable surveys to determine national dugong population status, abundance and distribution.

SPREP/CMS Secretariat/Range State Govts/Partners

High

2.5: Support use of the CMS Dugong MOU Standardised Dugong Catch and Bycatch Questionnaire and other dugong habitat and vessel interaction mapping tools. Disperse information gathered to relevant parties and target identified conservation hotspots in conservation and research efforts.

SPREP/CMS Secretariat/Range State Govts/Partners

High

2.6: Conduct necropsies on stranded dugong carcasses in collaboration with laboratories and record information gathered in dugong mortality database.

Range State Govts/Partners

Medium

2.7: Collect and stockpile genetic samples for analysis in the future (including from strandings) following the CMS MoU protocol for collecting samples.

Range State Govts/Partners

Medium

INDICATORS:

Gaps in dugong and seagrass knowledge identified and prioritized Dugong and Seagrass Research Toolkit is used by all range states CMS Dugong MOU Standardised Dugong Catch and Bycatch

Questionnaire completed in all range states, communicated to relevant stakeholders and incorporated into conservation planning by all range states

Mortality database is established and functional with all range states reporting annually (within two years)

Updated baseline surveys completed for distribution and abundance of dugong and seagrass for all Pacific range states by 2022

Relevant information on dugong population status distributed, summarized and made widely available

Necropsies of at least 5 dugong carcasses completed Genetic sampling continued or initiated in all range states

THEME 3: CAPACITY BUILDING AND COLLABORATION

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OBJECTIVE 1: Build in-country capacity to strengthen dugong conservation

Action Lead Priority

3.1: Build national capacity at all levels, including communities, to participate in dugong management, research and monitoring (access to expertise/resources).

SPREP/Range State Govts/Partners

High

INDICATORS:

Training to build national and community capacity in dugong management conducted.Number of students from Pacific Island range states enrolled in post-graduate studies relevant to conservation of dugong.

OBJECTIVE 2: Enhance national, regional and international collaboration

Actions Lead Priority

3.2: Encourage range states to collaborate with other range states in dugong work (e.g. Australia / PNG partnerships, New Caledonia / Vanuatu)

SPREP/CMSSecretariat/ Range State Govts

High

3.3: Encourage Pacific range states to actively implement the Conservation and Management Plan of the CMS MoU for the Conservation and Management of Dugongs and their Habitats.

SPREP/CMSSecretariat/Range State Govts

High

3.4: Strengthen collaboration with range states to combat illegal trade and encourage training to identify dugong parts.

SPREP/CITESSecretariat/Range State Govts

Medium

INDICATORS:

Partnerships developed for research and conservation effort among most range states and stakeholders.

Collaboration and partnership (esp. with CITES) enhanced with objective of eliminating illegal international trade of dugong products.

THEME 4: MANAGEMENT

OBJECTIVE 1: Improving protection of dugongs through enforcement and compliance with legal frameworks and national action plans.

Action Lead Priority

4.1: Encourage adaptation and amendment of this action SPREP/ High36 | P a g e

plan at a national level and ensure that management plans for marine sanctuaries, MPAs and other mechanisms include dugongs whenever possible.

Range State Govts

4.2: Strengthen enforcement and penalties; engage local communities in monitoring, surveillance and reporting of illegal activities.

Range State Govts

High

4.3: Establish a mechanism for reporting illegal activities and a clear protocol for the implementing agency.

Range State Govts

High

4.4: Establish, where necessary, and review, where existing, relevant legislation including traditional/customary measures, to incorporate dugong protection and dugong habitat protection.

Range State Govts

Medium

4.5: Develop a consistent practical and legislative framework for appropriate dugong rescue / stranding guidelines based on existing material (e.g. the Marine Animal Rescue Program Reference Guide by David Schofield and Cynthia Perry).

SPREP/Range State Govts

Medium

INDICATORS:

Community members actively involved in enforcement in at least two Range States Mechanism for reporting illegal activities and clear protocol established in at least

two Range States Legislation and policies as well as traditional management systems that protect

dugongs and their habitats in place in three Pacific Island Range States. Stranding guidelines developed and communicated to stakeholders in all Range

States

OBJECTIVE 2: Recognise the value of traditional knowledge, traditional resource management and customary marine tenure

Action Lead Priority

4.6: Ensure that traditional knowledge is documented, held by the appropriate authority and adequately protected and shared where appropriate / possible.

Range States Govts/Partners

Medium

4.7: Incorporate relevant traditional knowledge, resource management, and customary marine tenure into dugong and associated habitat management.

Range State Govts

Medium

INDICATORS:

Traditional knowledge in at least two dugong Pacific Island range states 37 | P a g e

documented, maintained and, where appropriate, incorporated into management Community based management supported in all Range States

THEME 5: INFORMATION, AWARENESS/EDUCATION AND COMMUNICATION

OBJECTIVE 1: Raise awareness and share information about the importance of dugongs and their habitats

Actions Lead Priority

5.1: Increase community awareness of ecological and biological information on dugongs, the threats they face (including boat strike and gillnet fishing) and the need for their conservation including protection of seagrass habitats.

SPREP/CMS Secretariat/Range State Govts/ Partners

High

5.2: Increase awareness about the ecosystem services of seagrass (e.g. food security, mitigating ocean acidification, etc) to increase funding and support for seagrass conservation.

SPREP/CMS Secretariat

High

5.3: Encourage and support the incorporation of dugong information and conservation issues into school curricula.

Range State Govts High

5.4: Provide assistance to the Pacific Islands range states to enable them to deliver effective and appropriate educational and awareness programmes to the public and promote sharing of informational materials between stakeholders.

SPREP/CMS Secretariat/Partners

High

5.6: Facilitate and encourage networking and linkages to relevant participatory monitoring programs, such as Seagrass-Watch (www.seagrasswatch.org), and other NGOs, in information exchange.

SPREP/CMS Secretariat

Medium

5.7: Continue to operate the Pacific Islands (PI) Dugong listserv, providing information and opportunities to share experiences.

SPREP Medium

INDICATORS:

Educational/awareness programmes delivered to all Pacific Island dugong range states.

Information sheets on threats produced or adapted, translated where necessary, and distributed to communities and all relevant stakeholders in at least two Range

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States Dugong and seagrass conservation issues and information included in school

programmes in all Pacific range states. PI Dugong listserv operational.

THEME 6: INTERACTIONS WITH DUGONGS

OBJECTIVE 1: Encourage best international practice related to dugong interactions

Actions Lead Priority

6.1: Promote sustainable wildlife tourism in consultation with local communities and other stakeholders.

SPREP/CMS Secretariat/Range State Govts/Partners

High

6.2 Monitor the impact of eco-tourism related activities.

Range State Govts/Partners Medium

6.3: Encourage development of a permitting system to regulate dugong watching operations and other related activities.

SPREP/Range State Govts High

6.4: Implement best international practice guidelines for responsible dugong watching and other related activities.

SPREP/Range State Govts High

INDICATORS:

Policy/legislation in place for issuance of permits to regulate dugong watching operations and other related activities on at least one Range State.

Guidelines for responsible dugong watching and other related activities disseminated and effectively implemented in at least one Range State.

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Annex 4 Figure 1 Conceptual model of dugong and seagrass conservation for the Pacific island region

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