The project was launched about a decade ago and won the Equator Prize of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) through the Equator Initiative. This initiative is the first of its kind for the Western Indian Ocean Marine Protected Areas.
UN News in Kenya took a trip to Kuruwitu in Kilifi County to see what the project is about.
Kuruwitu beach is quiet. Bright sandy beaches complement the clear blue water. The familiar smell of sand and sea salt wafts through the air.
This beach has not been operational for a decade. The villagers noticed the decline in fish populations and took it upon themselves to establish a conservation area with the help of like-minded partners. Dickson Gereza is a marine conservationist and the leader of the Coral Project Program, who explains that pollution is the ocean’s greatest enemy: “People are being irresponsible. The ocean is a useful resource, but humans are throwing it away. garbage. It is important to dispose of garbage correctly to save the ocean.”
First local coral conservation project
Overfishing, climate change and the uncontrolled harvesting of fish and corals by aquarium dealers must be addressed before the marine ecosystem is irreparably damaged.
In 2005, area residents took the unprecedented step of setting aside a 30-hectare Marine Protected Area (MPA). This was the first locally managed marine area to protect corals in Kenya. Twelve years later, the area has recovered remarkably.
Katana Hinzano is a conservationist with the organization Oceans Alive, where she is involved in making alternative coral blocks and nurseries with cement and sand. Katana reiterates the correlation between the sea and human life, saying: “The sea is valuable to those who live near it. Fishermen and fishing company owners depend on marine resources. We all have a role to play in ensuring that we let us benefit from the sea, leaving it intact for future generations”.
Thanks to the prohibition of fishing within the protected area, the fish have grown in abundance, size and diversity. The area has become a breeding ground, leading to an increase in fish outside the area. With this, the fishermen fish more as an indirect effect. Similarly, biodiversity has increased dramatically making Kuruwitu a destination for ecotourism, creating jobs for guides, boat captains and rangers.
“The sea is precious to me because it is life,” says Goodluck Mbaga, an environmentalist and honorary guide for the Kenya Wildlife Service, which provides food, contributes to the economy, and generates income and recreation. It is necessary for all of us to learn how to conserve the ocean, as we have yet to harness its full potential. “
UN/Thelma Mwadzaya
Metal bed with plastic mesh used to restore coral reefs in Kilifi County, Kenya
Metal bed and plastic mesh
To help corals regenerate, experts at Ocean’s Alive, Kuruwitu Conservation Y Welfare Association They work side by side. Starting with a bed made of metal with a plastic mesh attached, plugs made of cement and sand are dried and fastened to the bed to create a kind of vivarium. After curing them in the sea for weeks, the bed is ready for transplanting and is dropped onto the seabed. So marine life has a chance to attach to the structure.
Joint management of marine resources is expected to be the way forward in ecosystem-based management of seascapes in the region. The United Nations Environment ProgramUNEP, together with UN Habitat, launched the Project Go Blue to help cities and towns near oceans prosper. Florian Lux of the Project Go Blue explains how this link is related: “Cities and towns exist alongside oceans and seas, and this generates seas and landscapes. In order for them to be resilient in the face of climate change, they need to regenerate.”
UN/Thelma Mwadzaya
“Coral” concrete blocks.
UNDP Equator Prize
Kuruwitu Conservation is working with the local Beach Management Unit, the Kenya State Department of Fisheries and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) to develop a joint management plan that will cover an area of 800 hectares of ocean in front of the coast of the country. The territory includes a twelve kilometer coastline, six landing sites and three villages, with a population of about 30,000 people.
In 2017, Kuruwitu’s conservation efforts won the Equator Prize, organized by the Equator Initiative within the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). The award is given every two years to recognize outstanding community efforts to reduce poverty through the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.
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