Marine Protection for Conservation and Livelihoods

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Marine Protection for Conservation and Livelihoods

Vanuatu
Organization type: 
nonprofit/ngo/citizen sector
Budget: 
< $1,000
Website:
http://www.marineprotectedarea.com.vu/
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Project Summary
Elevator Pitch

Concise Summary: Help us pitch this solution! Provide an explanation within 3-4 short sentences.

The NP MPA role is to act as an umberella organisation, assisting member villages to combind conservation activities with tourism. These activities include school education/awareness programs, turtle tagging, coral re-seeding, scuba company visits, kayak tours, snokelling in conservation areas, fish feeding programs - with funds going to the NP MPA to assist with research and monitoring activities.

About Project

Problem: What problem is this project trying to address?

The NP MPA has focussed more on education and training rather than revenue raisising, leaving us with few funds to cycle back in to management activities. The focus of the organisation is to shift to a sustainable model - to get funds back into our local communtities through conservation activities.

Solution: What is the proposed solution? Please be specific!

The Nguna Pele Marine Protected Area network runs local and international education programs that include interactive tourism activities. School groups, scuba organisations, kayak tours and university organisations come through the NP MPA to learn about conservation issues and indigenous management methods. Our members are advisers for their own villages to set rules/'tabus' within their own villages - allowing autonomy for each village chief to maintain customary systems within their own village. Tourism based education allows international visitors to learn about customary tenure management systems in addition to the issues effecting our reefs - and ways to make a difference.
About You
Organization:
Nguna Pele Marine Protected Area
Visit website
Section 1: About You
First Name

Catherine

Last Name

O'Bryan

Website

http://www.marineprotectedarea.com.vu/

Organization

Nguna Pele Marine Protected Area

Country

, SH

Section 2: About Your Organization
Organization Name

Nguna Pele Marine Protected Area

Organization Phone

+78 7762776

Organization Address

PO Box 8324

Organization Country

, SH

Your idea
Country your work focuses on

, SH

Website URL

http://www.marineprotectedarea.com.vu/

Would you like to participate in the MIF Opportunity 2010?

Innovation
Do you have a patent for this idea?

Impact
What impact have you had on your clients and the tourism sector?

The NP MPA has assisted greatly in promoting the North Efate region as a marine conservation hub.

Our members are advisers to other government and non-government agencies. We have assisted with education and training activiites throughout Vanuatu.

Actions

The NP MPA is working with loca tour operators to establish well run kayak conservation tours, and work with local snorkelling and scuba companies.

Results

The NP MPA has touched the lives of many young youth locally and internationally through it's school educaiton programs - that include awareness raising, interactive coral re-seeding programs and swimming/snorkelling programs.

Protection of our local reefs allow for snorkelling and scuba companies to run tours highlighting our reefs beuty. These companies cycle money back into local communities.

What will it take for your project to be successful over the next three years? Please address each year separately, if possible.

Year 1.
Project Planning and Training required

Year 2.
Further training/mentoring, marketing and equipment.

Year 3
Further training/mentoring

What would prevent your project from being a success?
How many people will your project serve annually?

101‐1000

What is the average monthly household income in your target community, in US Dollars?

Less than $50

Does your project seek to have an impact on public policy or introduce models and tools that benefit the tourism sector in general?

Yes

Sustainability
What stage is your project in?

Operating for 1‐5 years

In what country?
Is your initiative connected to an established organization?

Yes

If yes, provide organization name.

s

How long has this organization been operating?

More than 5 years

Does your organization have a Board of Directors or an Advisory Board?

Yes

Does your organization have any non-monetary partnerships with NGOs?

Yes

Does your organization have any non-monetary partnerships with businesses?

No

Does your organization have any non-monetary partnerships with government?

Yes

Please tell us more about how these partnerships are critical to the success of your innovation.

The NP MPA has various good working relationships with government and non-government organisations such as the Department of Environment, Dep or Fisheries and Dep. of Tourism. In addition the NP MPA has/does work with universitities such as James Cook University (Australia) and the University of the South Pacific (Vanuatu). These two way relationship involves advise and training that benefits the MPa and the partner organisation.
These links with government and non-government bodies are important for marine management and our organisational growth.

What are the three most important actions needed to grow your initiative or organization?

1. Finance
2. Training
3. Marketing

Finance is needed to assist with boosting training and marketing within the network.

Training of MPA members in tour guiding/education based skills is essential to get our conservation message across in a fun and interactive way. Then what is needed is to spread the word - through marketing of the organsiation.

The Story
What was the defining moment that led you to this innovation?

The NP MPA has been acting as marine educators for several years. Currently, the network is not strategically set up for marine education/tourism - but has been working in this area. The network requirs support through donor funding to assist with establishment of the strategic focus of tourism meets conservation via training and marketing

Tell us about the social innovator behind this idea.

The NP MPA runs on voluntary acts my it's 16 members. These members are the social change agents within their own communities - establishing tabu's and running local education programs and marine monitoring/management activities. The local waters need to be protected to work in harmony with tourism activities - such as clean reefs for tourists to snorkel on.
The innovator is that these volunary contributions would be extended through funds raised.

How did you first hear about Changemakers?

Web Search (e.g., Google or Yahoo)

If through another, please provide the name of the organization or company

50 words or fewer