I started diving 10 years ago and it was
an experience which sparked a passion
for the underwater world however it was
only when I started talking to local
community members many years later that
I began to understand that connectivity
between the ocean and the land or the
people whether it was learning
traditional octopus fishing techniques
or surveying fish caches or interviewing
community members about their
experiences my interest in the ocean
started to be joined by a fascination
with that intersection between the
environment and the people who rely on
it for the ocean the land and the people
are intimately connected and here on a
saguaro is no different I came here to
work in January this year and in my role
as an educator scientist and
conservationist my goal is to connect
the dots between these interlinking
issues as conservationists we’re often
motivated to solve a particular
environmental problem however I believe
it’s only when we take a step back and
take a more holistic approach that we
can begin to succeed when I first came
to Arturo I was struck by the natural
beauty that surrounded me the diving is
stunning and with some of the most
biodiverse waters in the world that’s no
surprise
and that feeling has never left me as
the seasons change I’m constantly
surrounded by new beauty and I think my
favorite so far has to have been the
arrival of whale season but as I began
to familiarize myself with our local
reefs I couldn’t help but notice the
lack of big fish on many reefs groupers
and other large predators are few and
far between
these predators play an important role
in regulating the ecosystem and fish
which grow to a bigger size before being
caught can produce far more offspring
but as overfishing removes this top-end
from the environment the impact on the
ecosystem and the fish populations as a
whole becomes greater which causes
a decline in the fish stocks even
further and unfortunately my impressions
are consistent with Studies on the
subject and the impressions of the local
community as one person I spoke to said
we don’t catch as many fish as before in
the past you were lucky if you could eat
all the fish you caught that day so from
a conservation perspective this
particular dot should be a relatively
easy fix
stop fishing the big fish but the
reality is very very different as people
here rely on fishing to put food on the
table and provide for their children as
my friend estêvão said the sea is our
office we need to go to work every day
and here on a Thoreau fish is a really
important source of protein so a decline
in fish stocks can have a direct
influence on nutrition and in the face
of concerns over food security
specifically fish stocks it’s easy to
get tunnel vision and think that the
best way to solve this issue is to focus
on the fish however in my experience
top-down approaches like this which
focus on one aspect of a complicated
problem are doomed to failure it’s only
when we take a bigger picture approach
that we can begin to see results the
thing that I have come to appreciate
more more than anything else in my time
here on a thorough row is the strong
sense of community and family which
binds everything together and I really
believe it’s only when we take these
values into consideration that we can
begin to see tangible results from
conservation and the growing number of
Terrebonne do around the island are a
sign of this trend in this particular
context Terrebonne do are areas which
have been designated as locally managed
marine areas according to customary law
as a friend Necker said having a
Terrebonne do is important because I
want my children and grandchildren to
always have fish like I can see in the
sea now I don’t want it to be lost in
the future these laws are driven by the
community rather than centralized
government and other products of
hundreds of years of tradition
Terrebonne do our laws which are deeply
rooted in family and community ties and
they’re often taken in more serious
please an official law disrupted during
the conflict
they’re now enjoying a resurgence and
are increasingly being used for marine
management they work because they are
deeply rooted in the community’s values
and they make sure everyone’s voice is
heard however they require hard work
dedication and sacrifice from the
community in the short term in the words
of Johnny he said we all want our
boundary here but based on the culture
from our ancestors we believe that it
will be stronger if we do it in the
proper way
these fishermen are looking to the
future as more and more Terrebonne do
are added to the network of protected
areas which surround this island as they
set aside their fishing areas they’re
looking for other options of how to
provide for their children and that’s
where alternative livelihoods come in
the homestay Association here in Beloit
is a great example eight families have
opened their their homes to
international volunteers and staff
working with blue ventures this is an a
business model they’d never used before
and less than a year after they started
the initiative they’re already reaping
the rewards one member of the
Association said that the main benefit
of the homestay is that it allows us to
take care of our family and all the
income stays in the community I’ve been
lucky enough to live with one such
family during the last few months
LOI through them I’ve been able to learn
the Teton language settle into village
life and find my feet in a place far
away from home my tea Marie’s family
have provided me with the amazing
hospitality that’s one of this community
strength and home stays are an excellent
opportunity to create cultural exchange
which benefits both the hosts and the
guests one of the guests said that it
was an eye-opening immersive experience
that will be one of the main things he
looks back on and along with the
donations that snorkelers and divers
make to the terre bandeau fund this
homestay program is contributing to a
growing nature based ecotourism industry
on after laura research from Charles
Darwin University shows that the
communities of Arthur Oro strongly
support the development
of community-based ecotourism in the
future however they believe that it
should be in the hands of the local
community and the hands of local NGOs
and I firmly believe that it’s only that
if it’s done on the communities terms
then ecotourism could be a valuable tool
to improve Community Development and
economic security not only that but the
benefits must go directly to the
community rather than disappearing into
the pockets of developers or investors
from elsewhere and to find out what this
could look like for them the homestay
Association from Beloit went to visit
the homestay Association in Raja Ampat
Indonesia an inspirational experience
which enabled them to see communities
just like this one which are succeeding
in running their own tourism businesses
and after all learning from your peers
is can provide a more powerful lesson
than any classroom or training course
estêvão said of the experience it was
very important for us when the Raja
Ampat Association told us that they
started just like us with no support and
now they have achieved this amazing
success that inspires me to keep working
so going back to our earlier dot what
brought us to ecotourism was that it’s
an alternative livelihood which enables
us to pursue conservation strategies so
that begs the question all those
conservation strategies working are they
having an impact and that’s where our
international volunteers come in so
during their time in Timor not only do
they stay in the home stays but they
also learn how to survey the coral reef
and seagrass ecosystems of Arthur or
they learn survey techniques which are
designed to monitor changes in marine
resources over time focusing on fish
populations coral reef health
biodiversity and bleaching amongst other
things they survey inside and outside
the Terra Bondi so we hope that we’ll be
able to paint a picture of the impact
that these refuges are having on the
creatures living within their boundaries
and by combining the scientific data
with local experience and knowledge we
can garner a better understanding of the
state of marine ecosystems around us
anecdotal evidence alone is not enough
to track a management strategy but
scientific surveys alone failed to take
into account the rich relationship that
the people of Arthur will have with
their marine resources and bringing this
one step further we’re now taking a
community ring approach to monitoring
and mapping the seagrass meadows around
our flora seagrass is extremely
important because it supports coral
reefs and the associated fisheries
acting as a water filter nursery and
food source but it’s also extremely
vulnerable many threats by taking
seagrass into account in our work we
want to take into account the
connectivity between marine habitats we
also want to take into account the
connectivity between management systems
after all fish don’t stick to the
boundaries of the Terra Bondi and
particularly as those Terrebonne dues
are limited to coral reef areas this is
important our local and international
volunteers work together to survey the
seagrass ecosystem in a thorough row so
that the community can understand their
resources and be better equipped with
the knowledge they need to help them
manage them by doing this they’re able
to improve their level of understanding
and learn new skills that can contribute
to their sense of ownership and capacity
when it comes to marine conservation so
here we are we’ve come full circle
connecting the dots
what started as our concern over
overfishing has gone through many
iterations from the ecological to the
social to the economic and back again
and it’s only by taking all of these
aspects into account that marine
conservation can be sustained and the
only way that you can do that properly
is by listening to the community and
taking their needs into account so you
might be asking the question well what
what will you do next where do you go
from here well I don’t have the answer
the community does all we can do is stay
humble and listen to their voice we want
to find a way that we can move forward
together
working to address their needs in a way
that’s compatible with their values
working together to achieve their
aspirations thank you
[Applause]
an experience which sparked a passion
for the underwater world however it was
only when I started talking to local
community members many years later that
I began to understand that connectivity
between the ocean and the land or the
people whether it was learning
traditional octopus fishing techniques
or surveying fish caches or interviewing
community members about their
experiences my interest in the ocean
started to be joined by a fascination
with that intersection between the
environment and the people who rely on
it for the ocean the land and the people
are intimately connected and here on a
saguaro is no different I came here to
work in January this year and in my role
as an educator scientist and
conservationist my goal is to connect
the dots between these interlinking
issues as conservationists we’re often
motivated to solve a particular
environmental problem however I believe
it’s only when we take a step back and
take a more holistic approach that we
can begin to succeed when I first came
to Arturo I was struck by the natural
beauty that surrounded me the diving is
stunning and with some of the most
biodiverse waters in the world that’s no
surprise
and that feeling has never left me as
the seasons change I’m constantly
surrounded by new beauty and I think my
favorite so far has to have been the
arrival of whale season but as I began
to familiarize myself with our local
reefs I couldn’t help but notice the
lack of big fish on many reefs groupers
and other large predators are few and
far between
these predators play an important role
in regulating the ecosystem and fish
which grow to a bigger size before being
caught can produce far more offspring
but as overfishing removes this top-end
from the environment the impact on the
ecosystem and the fish populations as a
whole becomes greater which causes
a decline in the fish stocks even
further and unfortunately my impressions
are consistent with Studies on the
subject and the impressions of the local
community as one person I spoke to said
we don’t catch as many fish as before in
the past you were lucky if you could eat
all the fish you caught that day so from
a conservation perspective this
particular dot should be a relatively
easy fix
stop fishing the big fish but the
reality is very very different as people
here rely on fishing to put food on the
table and provide for their children as
my friend estêvão said the sea is our
office we need to go to work every day
and here on a Thoreau fish is a really
important source of protein so a decline
in fish stocks can have a direct
influence on nutrition and in the face
of concerns over food security
specifically fish stocks it’s easy to
get tunnel vision and think that the
best way to solve this issue is to focus
on the fish however in my experience
top-down approaches like this which
focus on one aspect of a complicated
problem are doomed to failure it’s only
when we take a bigger picture approach
that we can begin to see results the
thing that I have come to appreciate
more more than anything else in my time
here on a thorough row is the strong
sense of community and family which
binds everything together and I really
believe it’s only when we take these
values into consideration that we can
begin to see tangible results from
conservation and the growing number of
Terrebonne do around the island are a
sign of this trend in this particular
context Terrebonne do are areas which
have been designated as locally managed
marine areas according to customary law
as a friend Necker said having a
Terrebonne do is important because I
want my children and grandchildren to
always have fish like I can see in the
sea now I don’t want it to be lost in
the future these laws are driven by the
community rather than centralized
government and other products of
hundreds of years of tradition
Terrebonne do our laws which are deeply
rooted in family and community ties and
they’re often taken in more serious
please an official law disrupted during
the conflict
they’re now enjoying a resurgence and
are increasingly being used for marine
management they work because they are
deeply rooted in the community’s values
and they make sure everyone’s voice is
heard however they require hard work
dedication and sacrifice from the
community in the short term in the words
of Johnny he said we all want our
boundary here but based on the culture
from our ancestors we believe that it
will be stronger if we do it in the
proper way
these fishermen are looking to the
future as more and more Terrebonne do
are added to the network of protected
areas which surround this island as they
set aside their fishing areas they’re
looking for other options of how to
provide for their children and that’s
where alternative livelihoods come in
the homestay Association here in Beloit
is a great example eight families have
opened their their homes to
international volunteers and staff
working with blue ventures this is an a
business model they’d never used before
and less than a year after they started
the initiative they’re already reaping
the rewards one member of the
Association said that the main benefit
of the homestay is that it allows us to
take care of our family and all the
income stays in the community I’ve been
lucky enough to live with one such
family during the last few months
LOI through them I’ve been able to learn
the Teton language settle into village
life and find my feet in a place far
away from home my tea Marie’s family
have provided me with the amazing
hospitality that’s one of this community
strength and home stays are an excellent
opportunity to create cultural exchange
which benefits both the hosts and the
guests one of the guests said that it
was an eye-opening immersive experience
that will be one of the main things he
looks back on and along with the
donations that snorkelers and divers
make to the terre bandeau fund this
homestay program is contributing to a
growing nature based ecotourism industry
on after laura research from Charles
Darwin University shows that the
communities of Arthur Oro strongly
support the development
of community-based ecotourism in the
future however they believe that it
should be in the hands of the local
community and the hands of local NGOs
and I firmly believe that it’s only that
if it’s done on the communities terms
then ecotourism could be a valuable tool
to improve Community Development and
economic security not only that but the
benefits must go directly to the
community rather than disappearing into
the pockets of developers or investors
from elsewhere and to find out what this
could look like for them the homestay
Association from Beloit went to visit
the homestay Association in Raja Ampat
Indonesia an inspirational experience
which enabled them to see communities
just like this one which are succeeding
in running their own tourism businesses
and after all learning from your peers
is can provide a more powerful lesson
than any classroom or training course
estêvão said of the experience it was
very important for us when the Raja
Ampat Association told us that they
started just like us with no support and
now they have achieved this amazing
success that inspires me to keep working
so going back to our earlier dot what
brought us to ecotourism was that it’s
an alternative livelihood which enables
us to pursue conservation strategies so
that begs the question all those
conservation strategies working are they
having an impact and that’s where our
international volunteers come in so
during their time in Timor not only do
they stay in the home stays but they
also learn how to survey the coral reef
and seagrass ecosystems of Arthur or
they learn survey techniques which are
designed to monitor changes in marine
resources over time focusing on fish
populations coral reef health
biodiversity and bleaching amongst other
things they survey inside and outside
the Terra Bondi so we hope that we’ll be
able to paint a picture of the impact
that these refuges are having on the
creatures living within their boundaries
and by combining the scientific data
with local experience and knowledge we
can garner a better understanding of the
state of marine ecosystems around us
anecdotal evidence alone is not enough
to track a management strategy but
scientific surveys alone failed to take
into account the rich relationship that
the people of Arthur will have with
their marine resources and bringing this
one step further we’re now taking a
community ring approach to monitoring
and mapping the seagrass meadows around
our flora seagrass is extremely
important because it supports coral
reefs and the associated fisheries
acting as a water filter nursery and
food source but it’s also extremely
vulnerable many threats by taking
seagrass into account in our work we
want to take into account the
connectivity between marine habitats we
also want to take into account the
connectivity between management systems
after all fish don’t stick to the
boundaries of the Terra Bondi and
particularly as those Terrebonne dues
are limited to coral reef areas this is
important our local and international
volunteers work together to survey the
seagrass ecosystem in a thorough row so
that the community can understand their
resources and be better equipped with
the knowledge they need to help them
manage them by doing this they’re able
to improve their level of understanding
and learn new skills that can contribute
to their sense of ownership and capacity
when it comes to marine conservation so
here we are we’ve come full circle
connecting the dots
what started as our concern over
overfishing has gone through many
iterations from the ecological to the
social to the economic and back again
and it’s only by taking all of these
aspects into account that marine
conservation can be sustained and the
only way that you can do that properly
is by listening to the community and
taking their needs into account so you
might be asking the question well what
what will you do next where do you go
from here well I don’t have the answer
the community does all we can do is stay
humble and listen to their voice we want
to find a way that we can move forward
together
working to address their needs in a way
that’s compatible with their values
working together to achieve their
aspirations thank you
[Applause]
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