Establishing dugong and seagrass conservation areas in Palk Bay and the Gulf of Mannar (LK4).

Sri Lanka: Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay;

$105,702

LK4 aims to establish an additional 10,000 hectares of Marine Protected Area to support the conservation of dugongs and their seagrass habitat in the Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay. The project will involve the preparation of a multiple-community-based management plan in conjunction with government, fishing communities and the tourism industry.

LK4 will involve a series of group discussions organised through government fisheries management mechanisms, Fisheries Cooperative Societies, and both non-governmental and community-based organisations (NGOs, CBOs).

The project also aims to: 1) develop community conservation groups (CCGs) in strategically important locations within the study area, the members of which will act as stewards in the conservation of dugongs and seagrasses; and 2) collate all the information generated by the other five project partners to develop a conservation management plan for the protection of dugongs and the conservation of seagrass meadows.

LK4 will utilise the awareness campaign conducted by project partners to educate communities and will involve the National Institute of Education to ensure the effective delivery of key messages to school children.

Furthermore, LK4 will establish links between CCGs, the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, the Department of Wildlife Conservation, the Sri Lanka Navy and Sri Lanka Coast Guard, and the Sri Lanka Police Department to provide the necessary support for the implementation of relevant regulations.

Deliverables
  1. 10,000 ha area declared by the government for conservation of dugongs and seagrass ecosystems.
  2. Establish dugong and seagrass community conservation groups (CCGs) in 3 targeted villages, with a minimum of ten stewards in each.
  3. Achieve government acceptance and issuance of an integrated multiple-community management plan for dugongs and seagrasses.
  4. Report on gaps in legislation and regulations and issue recommendations for how they may be improved.