Marine Protected Area (MPA)
Water Flower Sun Gold MPA
The Goal
To develop a collaboratively managed, regulated, revenue generating marine protected area in South Ari Atoll that will protect and preserve an important Maldivian aggregation area for the whale shark, Rhincodon typus. This will provide a means to promote and ensure the long term conservation and protection of the South Ari ecosystem and all species that rely upon it. The project will generate income for local islands through sustainable tourism, facilitating scientific research projects and fostering community focussed education and conservation initiatives.
Invitation by the Government
In 2009, the MWSRP were invited by the Minister of Environment, Energy and Water, Mr Mohammed Aslam, to submit a proposal for a community driven initiative to designate the known whale shark aggregation area of South Ari's Southern outer reef as a Marine Protected Area (MPA). Preliminary discussions with resort managers and island chiefs in the region regarding the concept of a MPA were very positive. Following a stakeholder workshop in December a preliminary advisory committee was formed and acts to represent the four inhabited islands and three of the resort islands within the proposed area.
Background
Despite fishing of whale sharks being banned in 1996, incidences of harpooned and finned sharks have been recorded within the MPA. In 2007 whale shark WS047 was found impaled by the wooden shaft of a harpoon and in 2008 WS067's first dorsal fin was almost entirely severed in an unsuccessful finning attempt.
Accidental by-catch of whale sharks occurs as a result of ghost-fishing; the continuous fishing of discarded and lost nets. Previous techniques involving the use of nets have been discontinued as illegal methods, without instruction, ownerless nets continue to fatally restrain marine life as they drift aimlessly. In turn, unintentionally caught species become bait for the attraction of further accidental entrapments and the process continues until the nets becomes entangled or devoid of use.
Shark aggregations are a popular target of ecotourism, in 2001 an estimated 76,000 shark-specific dives took place in the Maldives. Exact figures for specific whale shark excursions are unknown. However, on average six boat excursions per day, representing approx 100 guests seek to passively exploit the whale shark aggregations in the proposed MPA.
Current fishing practice
Through consultation with local fishermen it is apparent that the inshore fishing area included in the proposed MPA is of extremely high importance and utilised for both subsistence and commercial fishing. As previously stated the major threats posed to whale sharks are not as a result of fisheries activities within this area. The techniques employed in this area are both harmless to whale sharks and passive in their effects, allowing fishermen to support their community in a sustainable fashion without causing ill effect.
The MPA Site
The area of the MPA is the Southern eplipelagic fringe of South Ari atoll in the Ariyadda channel (03° 30' N, 73° 50' E). The unique physical and ecological characteristics of this area make it one of the most consistent aggregation areas of possibly the only resident R. typus population in the Indian Ocean. Unlike the vast majority of aggregation zones around the world, whale sharks are encountered in South Ari throughout the year, forming particularly large aggregations during the north-east monsoon full moon periods. This appears to coincide with protracted coral spawning in the Maldives.
The boundary of the MPA extend 1km seaward from the reef crest (algal ridge) of Rangali island (3° 38'12N, 72° 41'52E). This continues to follow the epipilagic fringe of the reef in a South East direction rounding the southern most point of Maamigilli up to the North Eastern tip of Dhigurah Island (3° 32'27N, 72° 55'57E). The total length of this stretch is roughly 42 kilometres (26 miles).
The incorporation of the existing Kudurah Thilla MPA and neighbouring thillas in the Dhigurah channel will be taken into consideration for future implementation.
Unregulated and Unsustainable Tourism
Shark aggregations are a popular target of ecotourism, in 2001 an estimated 76,000 shark-specific dives took place in the Maldives. Exact figures for specific whale shark excursions are unknown. However, on average six boat excursions per day, representing approx 100 guests seek to encounter the whale shark aggregations in the proposed MPA.
Currently unregulated whale shark encounters along this stretch of reef commonly involve upwards of sixty guests and several vessels. In addition to the threat this poses to the safety of both shark and guest it is likely that this level of habitat disturbance will have a detrimental effect upon whale shark behaviour.
Core Zone
The core zone is an area within the MPA where speed and vessel size limits are enforced. This aims to reduce the threat of boat collisions with whale sharks whilst still allowing this area to continue as a growing attraction for whale shark interactions and ecotourism. The dimensions of the proposed zone extend seaward from the reef crest, 50m offshore from the shallow water reef and can be clearly identified by the darker blue, deeper water succeeding the shallower, lighter blue water of the submerged coral fringe.
The restrictions include the reduction of speed to a maximum of ten knots within the core zone. The vessel size restriction requires that any boat in excess of twenty metres in length must remain outside of the core zone and only send tender vessels under this size into the proposed zone.
Conclusion
If carefully managed this globally significant aggregation area has the potential to generate substantial revenue through whale shark directed eco-tourism. In 2006 at Ningaloo reef, Western Australia three hundred and eighty ecotourism boat excursions, totalling seven thousand six hundred guests, generated AUS$ 23 million of revenue in a four month period. Potentially, the revenue from year-round Maldivian whale shark ecotourism if channelled correctly could be of a huge benefit to the local communities and businesses in and surrounding the park.
The MWSRP has been busy discussing fund raising mechanisms with the resorts in and around the area. Conrad Rangali and Diva Maldives have already signed up to sponsor the MPA and another three are currently considering their sponsorship roles. The funds raised will be transferred to the Southern South Ari Marine Protected Area NGO (SSAMPA). The committee will then decide where the funds will be utilised.
Other Planned Initiatives
Waste Management is also a priority to MWSRP and the local community. The local community's attempts to remedy the problem have so far failed but through the implementation of the MPA it is now a major requirement. In discussions with all local community Islands the MWSRP discovered the disappointment that each Island feels because they are left no choice but to dump their waste at sea which ultimately ends up on the reef or a neighbouring beach.
Foreign student exchange programmes are viable and have been met with interest by the school Headmasters. At fifteen and sixteen years of age the children sit the same examinations as British students. However, the Maldives do not have the higher education or job options available for their students that other countries provide, and many intelligent pupils will settle for work in a resort. Through an exchange more options will become available to the students so they could fulfill their potential.
The Maldives is a perfect option for university students to carry out research for their dissertations which would further increase the possiblities of Maldivian students continuing their education. If you are interested in developing your studies in the Maldives please contact us.