Uafato in Action

continued on pages 13, 14

Issue no. 7January 1998

ISSN: 1024 � 1175

Published by the South PacificRegional Environment Programme

Despite their worldwide reputation asisland paradises with wild, unspoiledcoasts clothed with luxuriant rainforests,most Pacific island nations like Samoaactually contain very few areas whererainforest meets the sea. Large tractsof forest occur in the interior of boththe main islands of Savaii and Upolu,but throughout most lowlands the easytopography, the nearness to the sea ofmost villages and the extent to whichroads follow the shoreline ensure thatvery fewcoastal areas survive in a stateapproximating the natural, indigenousforest. As the road network hasexpanded in recent decades, landclearance has accelerated at anunprecedented rate. Of the few areasof coastal forest that do occur, hardlyany are still large enough to retain therarer and increasingly threatened birdspecies.

The rugged coast-al region betweenUafato and Tia-vea in easternUpolu is an ex-ception. Part ofthe geologicallyoldest district ofSamoa, its originalvolcanic cones andlava flows havebeen dissectedinto a dramatic landscape of sharppeaks, rock walls, short steep-sidedvalleys and long knifed-edged ridgesunparalleled elsewhere in the country.Offshore the sea bed drops away sharply

THE UAFATO�TIAVEAREGION

by Dion Ale, Uafato Conservation Area Support Officer

from a cliffedrocky and largelyforested coastline.The deep water in-shore has prevent-ed the developmentof the reefs andlagoons which

native birds, contain many non-indigenous trees and other species, mostof them early aboriginal plantintroductions from other parts of theSouth West Pacific.

The Uafato�Tiavea coastal rainforestis the only remaining area of its size inSamoa which is still only lightlyinhabited, and largely forested. Itssteepness has made it one of the veryfew coasts which the modern roadnetwork has not reached. It is thuslargely inaccessible. Like most of thecountry it is customarily owned, andcontinues to be used by the people ofthese villages. However, the land is toosteep and erodible to clear forpermanent agriculture, and because ofits steepness would be of marginal valueeven for shifting cultivation. Beingextensive, lightly populated and littlemodified, it is one of the very few areasin Samoa where it might be possible toprotect the natural ecology of Samoanlowlands without constrainingopportunities for the growth anddevelopment of local villages.

Village Council of Uafato�Alailefue and Ofoiashowing Dion Ale the village boundaries Photo: James Atherton

Uafato is one of the very fewareas in Samoa where it

might be possible to protectthe natural ecology of

Samoan lowlands withoutconstraining opportunities

for the growth anddevelopment of local villages.

characterise the restof the coast ofUpolu.

The coastal rainforest near Uafatocontains the best of the very fewsurviving populations of Ifilele (Intsiabijuga), traditionally the most reveredtimber tree in Samoa. The diversity andabundance of the rarer and moreendangered bird species in thiscomparatively extensive area, whencompared to that in most other lowlandforest areas, show the need to conserveareas which are not only large but also

cover a rangeof intact eco-systems.

However, aswell as being ani m p o r t a n tnatural area it isalso a �culturallandscape�, theproduct of ap r o l o n g e d

series of interactions between peopleand the environment. The coastalforests, while natural in generalappearance and important for theproduction of food for fruit-eating

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CA NewsNews from the SPBCP-funded Conservation Areas

TAKITUMU (Cook Islands)

Recent developments include:

� the new office in Avarua was opened,including an Environment Shopstocking local products andpublications

� shooting of a 20- minute video on theConservation Area by a Cook Islandfilm-maker commenced on 24 October;the projected completion date was 15December 1997

� the new AVA, Rebecca Blackburn,started work on 16 July

� a community ecotourism workshopwas held from 2�4 September inTitikaveka

� 5000 copies were printed of a brochureadvertising Takitumu as an ecotourismdestination

� aerial photography of the conservationarea was completed

� a market analysis was carried out of apossible four-hour tour of theConservation Area

� two wage workers, Henry Wilson andRobert Ben, worked on a range ofduties throughout the period; bothattended a tour guide trainingworkshop

� clearing of the site for the Turoa Valleyshelter site was completed and culvertswere installed for the septic tank

� Ed Saul, the Kakerori RecoveryProgramme Advisor, commencedwork in August

� three New Zealand volunteers helpedout with bird surveys and sign-makingover a two-month period

� the 1997 rat eradication programmestarted on 29 September

� the 1997 bird count has found this yearto be a record breeding season, with 42pairs of Kakerori nesting; the current

population estimate is at least 145,with possibly a total of 150 birds

Future plans include:

� development of a marketing andbusiness plan for the ConservationArea

� publication of a booklet about theproject in Cook Islands Maori

NORTH TARAWA (Kiribati)

It has been a while since we broughtyou an update on developments in thisCA. Events since the last update include:

� a survey of the bonefish run, whichled to a ban on fishing within threedays either side of the full moon

� a training workshop on vegetationsampling, involving 18 participantsfrom nine villages

� the identification of a suitable site forthe establishment of a nursery to raiseendangered plants

� a public awareness campaign

� a ban on the use of long gillnets and�splashing� in North Tarawa. The CACCis having continuing difficulties with theuse of these fishing techniques bypeople from South Tarawa

Plans for the future include:

� vegetation surveys in all 13 villages

� replanting of useful plants and trees

� a workshop on marine resourcesmanagement and community fisheries

ARNARVON ISLANDS (SolomonIslands)

Recent activities include:� the first meetings of the fisheries

management groups in Posarae andWaghena

� monitoring of commercially exploitedinvertebrates over a four-week period,as a cooperative venture between the

project, the Fisheries Department andan Australian expert

� training in plant identification forConservation Officers, by localbotanist Myknee Qusa

� training for Conservation Officers inthe development and use of visual aidsin community awareness-raising, byPeace Corps volunteers Martha andGeorge

Plans for the future include:

� development of a small herbarium atthe field station

� a study tour to Vatthe ConservationArea for members of the CACC andConservation Officers

� implementation of a vegetationmonitoring programme

� resolution of the difficulties that hadarisen over the management of theWaghena fisheries centre

HA�APAI (Tonga)

Recent developments include:

� planning and implementation (in Julyand August) of the vegetation surveyof Tofua and Kao islands (see articleby Michael Hortle on page 5)

� cooperation with the Health Officerand the Town Officers on the issue ofpig control, a long-standing issue fromboth health and environmentalperspectives

� production of a Tongan languageversion of the Ha�apai ConservationArea video

� securing of TOP 5,040 in funding fromthe Canadian International Dev-

continued on page 4

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From the Programme Manager�s Desk

Greetings and best wishes for 1998 toall CASOs and other readers ofCASOLink. Already, 1998 is shapingup to be another busy year for all ofus.

This is the time to reflect back on thelast six months of 1997. And what a timethat was! The South Pacific BiodiversityConservation Programme (SPBCP)featured significantly through the papersit presented to various regional andinternational meetings including thePacific Science Inter-Congress (13�18July, Suva, Fiji); the 6th South PacificConference on Nature Conservation andProtected Areas (29 September�3October, Pohnpei, FSM); the SouthPacific Tourism Conference (20�25October, Tahiti, French Polynesia); theMarine Protected Area Workshop (3�7November, Manila, Philippines); and theWorld Conservation Union/WorldCommission on Protected Areas (IUCN/WCPA) Protected Area Workshop (23�29 November, Albany, Australia). Theseopportunities help further enhance andpromote the SPBCP approach andphilosophy to the conservationcommunity and others.

Three new CAPs were approved forinitial support under the SPBCP. Thesewere the Rock Islands (Palau), JaluitAtoll (Marshall Islands) and KiritimatiIslet (Kiribati). These bring to 17 thenumber of CAPs supported by theprogramme. Only Nauru and Tokelauhave yet to participate in SPBCP.

A key decision taken at the 5th Meetingof the Technical and ManagementAdvisory Group (TMAG) last year wasto extend SPBCP for another three years.This decision was endorsed by theMultipartite Meeting later in the year andnow awaits a decision by UNDP NewYork. If approved, CAPs could expect

continuing support from SPBCP untilthe year 2001.

Another important recommendationfrom TMAG relates to the undertakingof internal reviews by individual CAPsin early 1998. The purposes of thesereviews are to consider progress andlessons learned to date and to identifykey priority activities for SPBCPsupport during the remaining years ofthe programme. These reviews will bea priority activity for all CAPs in early1998 and you will be hearing moreabout these from me in the next fewmonths.

The Multipartite Review of the SPBCPin Nadi Fiji (21 November) generallyendorsed the recommendations of theProject Performance EvaluationReport (PPER) and agreed that theprogramme was on track as far asachieving expected outputs wasconcerned. The Deputy Director ofSPREP at the meeting, Mr DonStewart, also announced a SPREPaward for the most progressive CAPto begin in 1998. The criteria for theselection of the winning project andother details will be announced in 1998.I expect that you will all be vying to bethe first recipient of this award and wecan all therefore expect a toughcompetition next year.

A very important highlight of 1997was the 6th South Pacific Con-ference on Nature Conservation andProtected Areas in Pohnpei, FSMfrom 29 September�3 October.About 170 participants from theregion and abroad attended theconference, making it the biggest inthe series so far. The team ofconference facilitators was drawnfrom Pacific islanders including thoseinvolved in the implementation of

�1998 is here and is already shaping up to beanother busy year for all of us.�

Ì

CAPs under the SPBCP. The skills andprofessionalism they displayed at theconference leaves me in no doubt thatCAPs and conservation in the Pacificin general are in good hands.Congratulations to all of you whoactively participated in the conference.Your input was greatly appreciated.

On a personal note, 1997 like any otheryear, had its good and bad news. AnnaTiraa-Passfield, the CASO for theTakitumu CAP in Cook Islands gave birthto a healthy baby girl in November. Avery big congratulation to Anna andKevin. On a sad note, Mr Selesele whowas recruited as the new CASO forthe Saanapu/Sataoa CAP in Samoapassed away a few weeks after he wasappointed. We offer our condolencesto his family and the communities hewas working with.

Finally, may I take this opportunity to saythank you to all the CASOs, projectmanagers and other colleagues who havebeen working very closely with me andstaff of SPBCP over the past twelvemonths in promoting biodiversityconservation in the Pacific region. Specialthanks go to our collaborating partnerssuch as UNDP, GEF, TNC, WWF,AusAID, NZODA, USP and manyothers whose support and activeparticipation in the programme has beena valuable source of guidance andaspiration to the SPBCP Secretariat. Welook forward to your continuing supportin 1998.

With very best wishes for 1998.

Joe RetiProgramme Manager, SPBCP

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continued on page 9 & 10

elopment Agency (CIDA), for theestablishment of community nurserieson �Uiha and Lofanga islands

� hosted visit by group from HuvaluForest Conservation Area (Niue)

� conducted one-day tourism awarenessworkshop, in association with theTonga Visitors Bureau

� organised a stall at the triennial RoyalAgricultural Show, held in Ha�apai on19 August, and awarded 18 prizes incategories ranging from tree plantingand clam circle establishment tosustainable traditional fishingmethods

� gained the support of Asian Paints fora series of wall murals on environ-mental themes

� produced a series of seven InformationSheets on various subjects, in bothTongan and English

Coming events include:� a marine survey of the �Auhangamea

Passage

� a resource baseline survey of theuninhabited islands of Luahoko,Nukunano and Ofalanga

� coastal erosion control works at FotuaBeach

� holding of an ecotourism planningmeeting and the development of anecotourism action plan

Tofua/Kao Survey Team in Ha�apai Conservation Area Photo: James Atherton

continued from page 2CA News...

Conservation Area by Vanuatu�s WanSmolbag Theatre

� a preliminary avifauna survey by theAvian Ark Foundation

� letting of a contract for constructionof the project house in Kusumbavillage, on the Weather Coast ofGuadacanal

� purchase and installation of two HFradios for Kusumba and Veraboli,creating for the first time a dedicatedcommunication network linking thelead agency and both of thecommunities involved in theKomarindi Conservation Area project

Plans for the coming months include:

� progressive introduction of the fournew tours between April and July 1998

� introductory tour guide training inMarch

� advanced tour guide training in June

� the project to hold an Open Day at theSolomon Islands Trade and CultureShow, 1st Melanesian Arts and CulturalFestival and 20th Anniversary ofIndependence celebrations in July 1998

VATTHE (Vanuatu)

Recent developments include:

� completion of John Salong�s andThomas Mueller�s reports on thedevelopment and management ofecotourism in Vatthe ConservationArea

� formation of two sub-committees ofthe Joint Conservation ManagementCommittee; one responsible forecotourism and one for conservationmanagement

� appointment of Puriti Solomon as thefirst full-time manager of the Vattheecotourism venture

� provision of training in tourismmanagement, cooking and tourguiding

� completion of six bungalows, each witha double bed and a single bed, and threetoilet/shower units

� organisation of a three-day nurserydevelopment and management course

� purchase of a multi-video system andmobile generator to assist with outerisland awareness work

� purchase of shadehouse and nurseryequipment for the establishment oftwo community nurseries on �Uihaand Lofanga islands

� protection of an area of secondaryforest at Taufa�ahau and PilolevuCollege on Foa Island

KOMARINDI (Solomon Islands)

Recent activities in the KomarindiConservation Area project havefocused on planning for ecotourism.Key developments in this area haveincluded:

� an ecotourism planning anddevelopment consultancy, including aseries of community meetings

� community agreement on the runningof four tours: a half-day nature andculture tour, a full day walk, a week-end hike and a cross-Guadacanal hike

� agreement by two Solomon Islandstravel agents to brochure KomarindiConservation Area ecotourismactivities in 1998

Other activities have included:

� presentation of dramas and plays onenvironmental themes in the

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continued on page 16

A line of active volcanoes stretches downthe western side of the coral island groupsof Ha�apai and Vava�u in Tonga. In July1997 the Ha�apai Area ConservationProject coordinated a 12-day botanicalsurvey of the two volcanoes west ofHa�apai: Tofua, 560 metres and still active;and Kao, a dormant 1109 metre cone.

Tofua exploded many thousands ofyears ago, leaving a crater lake a coupleof kilometres in diameter, 225 metresdeep and dotted with bubbling sulphurmud springs. The explosion waspowerful enough to shower theneighbouring coral isles with ash, whichnow provides the soil for agriculture.More recent explosions, the latest in1926, have left the old crater rim andinternal slopes pockmarked with smallercraters.

The currently active crater, which stillbelches steam, sulphurous gases andash, is about 80 metres across but ofunknown depth. This crater issurrounded by amoonscape of vol-canic debris descend-ing to the morerecently created lavafields. Grumbles androars can be heard onoccasions, and onceduring our stay thenight sky was lit withreds and oranges assparks were shot highinto the air. A visit byseveral Peace Corpsand Australian volun-teers in early Sep-tember noted majornew volcanic activity

in the forests on the western shores ofthe lake, a couple of kilometres awayfrom the active cone. A few kilometresaway the almost perfect cone of Kaorises dramatically from the sea. Thesummit is a needle-like ridge, coveredin moss and fern, suspended almost200 metres above an old crater.

Both islands have a history of onlysporadic occupancy. Tofua is famousin history as the island where CaptainBligh was set ashore after the mutinyon the Bounty. One of his crew wassubsequently killed on a Tofua beachas the longboat escaped from Tonganwarriors. In 1976 over 300 people livedon the island in a couple of villages;now there are perhaps only 20 peoplescattered over the island, managing thekava plantations which cling to the steepslopes of the island�s rainforest gullies.

We had assembled a party of 13 forthe survey: Dr Art Whistler from Uniof Hawaii, the guru of Pacific

botanists; Dr Geoff Park, a consultantfrom New Zealand, interested in theimpact of human activity on botanicalecosystems; James Atherton, DrWhistler�s right hand man; ManuPomelile, a Tongan with immenseknowledge of Tongan botany andtraditional plant uses; a couple of guidesand track cutters (who also doubled asfishermen); and several project staff.The principal aims of the survey wereto inventory the plant ecosystems, lookat the human impact on vegetation,assess potential park status; recommenda management plan for futureprotection of the resources on theislands, and collect plant material forthe local nursery�particularly for treesand plants used in everyday life but nowscarce on other islands.

As I surveyed the huge piles of gearon the Pangai wharf, with moreappearing as people scurried off tocollect items forgotten, I contemplatedthe enormity of the logistics of the

expeditions of pastcenturies. With theloading completed weheaded out into themist and chop of anuncharacteristicallycold and windy day.Not even the fish werebiting and the fourtrolling lines remaineduntouched for thefive-hour journey. Asthe towering mass ofthe two islands drewcloser, thoughts and

�The story the consultants� report won�t tell�

by Michael Hortle, AVA/UNV volunteer, Ha�apai Conservation Area Project

HA�APAI Conservation Area Project

Volcano and crater lake on Tofua Island, Ha�apai. Photo: James Atherton

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In the Highlands of Papua NewGuinea, 75 km southwest of Goroka,there is a place where enterprise andconservation go hand in hand.

The Crater Mountain WildlifeManagement Area (CMWMA) wasestablished by local landowners whowere interested in developingenterprises based on the conservationof their natural resources. Today, theResearch and Conservation Foundation(RCF) guides landowners to manage thisunique area and is proving to PapuaNew Guinea and the rest of the worldthat moneymaking enterprises can workalongside conservation and in fact cancomplement it.

The CMWMA encompasses parts ofthree provinces and two distinctlanguage groups�Gimi and Pawaian.The area covers almost 2700 squarekilometres of land ranging from lowlandrainforest on the Purari river, lying 50m above sea level, to montane forestsand grasslands that stretch as high as3100 m at the summit of CraterMountain. It is home to over 220species of birds and 84 species ofmammals, many of which are endemicto Papua New Guinea.

Within the CMWMA a number ofenterprises based on the conservationof these natural resources have been

developed. The major enterprises areecotourism, the marketing of the areaas a research destination to institutionsand individuals in PNG and overseas,and a number of Crater MountainArtefacts stores.

For the tourist,flying into any ofthe five villageswithin theCMWMA is ab r e a t h t a k i n gexperience and a glimpse of whatawaits them, as all the airstrips aresurrounded by beautiful tropicalrainforest.

There are three ecotourism guesthouses in which tourists can stay foraround K 5�7 per person per night.These guest houses provide bedding andfull cooking and facilities, as well as ashower room�although many visitorsenjoy the experience of bathing in theriver with the local community. In someof the villages you can also arrange tostay in a local home.

Tourists to the area can enjoy a rangeof natural history activities such as treksto the Losapi Bat Cave, the RaggianaBird of Paradise display site, the CraterMountain Overlook and the Wara Fiosuspension bridge, to mention only afew. Arrangements can also be madeto have local villagers prepare traditionalfoods such as sago or food cooked in amumu (earth oven).

Ecotourism in this form helps raiseawareness of the need to conserve the

few unspoiled areas we have left in theworld. And of course, the incomegenerated goes back into thecommunity, providing an alternative tonon-sustainable land use practices such

as large-scaletimber and mineralextraction.

The CMWMA isalso attractingresearchers fromall over the world

due to its incredibly diverse flora andfauna. RCF have been successful inencouraging interested people toundertake research in areas identifiedas priorities for PNG. Researchpriorities are widespread and includethe ecology and behaviour of thecassowary and palm cockatoo; cost-benefit analyses of potential miningactivities; and the impact of cottageindustries which use natural forestproducts.

Scientists have come from far and wideto conduct research within theCMWMA, and it is not only due to therange of research subject matteravailable. Research stations are locatednear Haia in the west of the area, andin the village of Herowana in the east.RCF field officers in three otherlocations across the CMWMA also helpscientists carry out their work.

Computers, printers, generators and HFradios are available at each researchstation and field site. Infrastructure suchas this is extremely important forresearchers and, as they pay a rental

Crater Mountain WildlifeManagement Area

Papua New Guinea

A unique combination of enterprise andconservation

Ecotourism in this formhelps raise awareness ofthe need to conserve thefew unspoiled areas wehave left in the world.

Another drawcard whichattracts scientists to the areato conduct vital research isthe existence of RCF staff,field biologists and trained

local observers.

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fee for their use, the community alsobenefits.

Another drawcard which attractsscientists to the area to conduct vitalresearch is the existence of RCF staff,field biologists and trained localobservers (TLOs). The field biologistsare able to help researchers plan theirstudy in the area, and also play a vitalrole in aiding communication betweenthe scientists and community. TLOs areemployed by researchers who visit thearea. They help the scientists with datacollection and offer valuable advice onthe rugged terrain. Once again, theservices the community offers are paidfor by the visitor, in this case theresearcher, and the money goes backinto the community.

So once again we can see conservationand enterprise working hand in hand.Valuable study into the biodiversity ofthe CMWMA is being carried out,therefore spreading the word about andreaffirming the importance of the area,while at the same time generatingincome and raising the level of expertisein the community.

The artisans of the area are also provingthat conservation and business can gotogether. The people of the CMWMAare extremely talented when it comesto producing beautiful artefacts suchas bows, spears and billums. By usingnatural products to colour andconstruct each item the artisans of thearea have developed a unique, qualityproduct. There are four artefact storesthroughout the CMWMA, whichcollectively make approximately K10,000 per annum, and the items arealso sold by way of mail-order formsdistributed at various cultural and craftshows. With the sale of locally producedartefacts the community can preservetheir craft skills while making someextra income.

When we think of business and the artof making money in general, many ofus think of exploitation. Although theRCF is far from having all the answers,they are attempting to counter this viewwith their brave experiment inintegrated conservation anddevelopment within the CMWMA byintroducing projects like those outlinedin this article.

NOTE: The RCF Head Office hasrecently re-located to Goroka,with an RCF desk officerremaining in Port Moresby toanswer inquiries. For furtherinformation please call or write to:

RCF Head OfficePO Box 1261EHP GorokaPNGPh: 675 732 3211Fax: 675 732 1123

Kathy Panap, RCFPO Box 2750Boroko NCDPNGPh: 675 323 0699Fax: 675 323 0397

Article provided courtesy of the Research andConservation Foundation of PNG

Ì

Crater Mountain Wildlife Management Area. Map: Research and Conservation Foundation

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The 1997 Pacific Year of the CoralReef campaign was launched amidstdancing, singing and rejoicing in thebeauty and bounty of coral reefs inFebruary 1997. The campaign isbasically a celebration of coral reefawareness-raising throughout theregion.

The year 1997 was rather kind in thatthe campaign was blessed with 18keen and committed participatingmember countries. Through theirhard work the campaign gainedinternational, regional and nationalrecognition for its innovativeawareness-raising activities. Forinstance coral reef competitions indancing, singing, artwork, poetry,essay writing and quizzes allowedpeople to learn about coral reefs whilethey were enjoying themselves asparticipants, spectators or both. Theidea was to ensure that the learningexperience was fun, informative andunited communities towards one goal:the conservation and wise use of ourcoral reefs. Hence our activities aswell as our resource materials weredesigned with this in mind.

In the Marshall Islands, they had the�Battle of the Bands� where itbecame a matter of pride to captivatethe audience by having the mostappealing coral reef themes dressedin sexy tunes. Indeed with the rightmusical garnishing, the messagesreached the target audience in a waythat was informative and yet fun. InVanuatu, after watching one of thePYOCR resource videos, �On theReef�, certain villages refused to giveforeign companies the rights to catchsea cucumbers. This was because thevillagers had learned from thismusical video that sea cucumbers

CAMPAIGNING FOR

CORAL REEFS IN THE PACIFICLucille Apis-Overhoff, PYOCR Campaign Co-ordinator

clean the reefs, and the villagers didnot want to lose the cleaners.

One message that gave most people ashock was that �coral reefs are alive�.A lot of people think that the coralreefs are just non-living structuresthat provide homes for fish andshellfish. The realisation that coral arealive and fragile has led to villagerssetting up their own coral reefreserves. For instance, in Samoaalone, 17 villages have declared theirown coral reef areas as marinereserves.

Taking the theme of �living coralreefs� further, another message thatthe campaign successfully deliveredwas �Coral reefs are like people. Theycan be healthy, they can be sick andthey can die, too. If we take care ofcoral reefs, they will take care of us.�In American Samoa, the Cook Islandsand Federated States of Micronesia,students used this message as a keytheme in their coral reef artwork andtheir school magazines.

International recognition came in theform of special contributions fromoverseas, for instance from the

Countries which participatedin the Pacific Year of the Coral

Reef campaign

American SamoaCook Islands

Federated States of MicronesiaFiji

GuamKiribati

Marshall IslandsNauruNiue

Northern Marianas IslandsPalau

Papua New GuineaSamoa

Solomon IslandsTokelauTongaTuvalu

Vanuatu

British Embassy in Fiji and fromthe US Government. In addition,the campaign resource materialssuch as posters, handbooks, videos,fact sheets and stickers werepopular internationally as well as inthe region. In fact, the Pacific Yearof the Coral Reef regionalcampaign plan, key messages andeven our well known Pacific slogan,�Coral Reefs: Their Health, OurFuture� are now being used in theCaribbean region�s own coral reefprotection campaign. Ì

Source: PYOCR 1997

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Uafato

continued from page 4CA News...

� renovation of the project house toserve as a kitchen and restaurant forthe tourism operation

� installation of a water supply systemfor the tourism venture, comprisingtwo fibreglass tanks linked to a roofcatchment system

� development of a range of activitiesfor tourists, including three walkingtours, the coconut crab hunt, gardentour and custom dance

� completion of the new water well bythe Department of Geology and Mines

� provision of a solar-powered lightingsystem for the restaurant, office andkitchen by the Vanuatu Energy Unit

� setting up of a radio-telephone linkbetween Matantas village and Lugan-ville

� official opening of the Vattheecotourism venture on 25 November1997

Plans for the future include:

� development of Resource ManagementRules (RMR) for the management ofthree key pest animal species: flyingfox, pigs and wild cattle

� building of a rainwater catchmentshelter to feed into the water tanks

� further training in tourism man-agement

� furnishing of the aid post and therestaurant

KOROYANITU (Fiji)

Recent activities include:� tour of five project villages by the

Interim Board 19�21 June

� mapping of land tenure and resourceuse in the project villages

� establishment of the Navilawa villagecooperative

� study visit between Abaca andNavilawa villages

� upgrading of the road from Abacavillage to the lodge, and commencementof work on upgrading the road fromLautoka to Abaca

� rehabilitation of degraded roadworksat Navilawa

� Participatory Resource Awareness(PRA) training 21�25 July, followed byNavilawa PRA; completion of draftPRA report.

� tourism awareness training at Abacaand Navilawa villages on 9, 16, 23 and30 September, by Kosrae ecotourismworkshop trainees Anaiasa and Kitiani

� Pacific Economic CooperationCouncil/Japan National Committeefor Pacific Economic Cooperation(PECC/JANPEC) ecotourismworkshop at Abaca

� farmer training at Navilawa village inSeptember by Agriculture Departmentstaff

� International League for the Protectionof Horses (ILPH) workshop on careof horses at Navilawa village

Planned activities include:

� finalisation of the Land OwnerConsent document and endorsementby Native Lands Trust Board (NLTB)board meeting

� registration of at least three morecooperatives

� registration of the apex cooperative forKoroyanitu Conservation Area

� completion of resource managementplans for two villages

� conduct a further three ParticipatoryResource Appraisal (PRA) workshops,at Abaca, Nalotawa and Vakabol villages

� establishment of model or�demonstration� farms in Navilawa andNalotawa

� development of a village fruit treenursery in Navilawa

� investigation of opportunities forfurther aquaculture development atNavilawa

UTWA-WALUNG (FederatedStates of Micronesia)

Recent developments have included:

� a University of Oregon TechnicalAssistant, Beth La Fleur, worked withthe project for three months on thedevelopment of a community-basedmonitoring and evaluation programmefor the Conservation Area

� the first issue of a bilingual (English/Kosraen) newsletter was produced,along with several radio programmes

� a review of ecotourism developmentplanning was undertaken duringOctober, which concluded that theproject should set a �target� of hosting300 ecotourists a year

� a six-day tour guiding workshop wasattended by 11 members of the localcommunity

� the canoe training, canoe constructionand building of the canoe hut at Utwewere all completed

� the project commenced the task ofreviewing the appropriateness of aproposal to develop houseboattourism on Utwe Harbour

POHNPEI (Federated States ofMicronesia)

Recent developments have included:

� an initial meeting was held with allNahmwarkies and Nahnkens from theproject area to discuss jointmanagement of sustainable lowlandkava cultivation projects

� a lowland kava nursery experi-mentation plan was developed

� five South Pacific BiodiversityConservation Programme (SPBCP)and The Nature Conservancy (TNC)consultants worked together from 22July�5 August developing a strategy andimplementation plan for community-based monitoring of both socio-economic and biophysical indicators

� field trips were organised forparticipants at the 6th South PacificConference on Nature Conservation

continued on page 10

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and Protected Areas in September/October

� two five-day community conservationofficer training workshops were heldbetween 21 October and 31 October;25�30 people attended each workshop

� consideration is being given to thedevelopment of a more effective andefficient mechanism for themanagement and administration ofthe Pohnpei Conservation Area project.

FUNAFUTI (Tuvalu)

Recent developments have included:

� Apia-based diving instructor FouaToloa conducted a training course forsix project staff and members of theFisheries Division; the course coveredopen-water diving, research diving andmarine survey methods such asmanta-tow and line-intercept

� buoys were deployed marking theboundary of the marine reserve

� new AVA Claudia Ludescher, anAustralian marine biologist, arrived inFunafuti; she started work with anintensive three-week orientationprogramme covering Funafuti andalso three of the outer islands

� the new boat funded by the CanadaFund arrived from New Zealand, butwas unable to be used immediately dueto a mismatch between the boat andthe outboard engine; adapting kitswere purchased

� Dr Ursla (�Uschi�) Kaly, a marinebiologist from James Cook Universityin Australia, spent four weeks in Tuvalucarrying out a marine survey andrunning a training course in techniquesfor environmental monitoring

NGAREMEDUU (Palau)

Recent developments have included:

� consultations with traditional chiefs andgovernors of the three states involvedregarding the make-up of the CACC

� agreement on CACC membership onthe part of Aimeliik and Ngatpangstates

Plans for the next few months include:

� finalisation of CACC membership;briefing of CACC members on CAobjectives and activities

continued from page 9CA News...

� establishment of PRA team

� conduct a review of traditional resourcemanagement practices

� commence preparation of CAmanagement plan

� finalisation of CA boundary and fixingof boundary markers. Ì

Tolo gorge, part of the Huvalu Forest Conservation Area (CA) in Niue, is popular with tourists who areattracted by the beauty of the steep-sided canyon with its palm trees, tranquil pools and white sandy floor.Huvalu Forest CA contains most of the remaining natural forest on Niue. Parts of the forest provide an

important habitat for the endangered coconut crab.

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ECOTOURISM

Training and Development

One of the key elements of the SPBCPhas always been the development ofincome-generating activities inConservation Areas. The two primaryreasons for supporting such activitiesare to help offset the cost of ongoingmanagement of such areas and, throughproviding employment and in somecases a contribution to village income,to strengthen and maintain communitysupport for the protection of theConservation Area.

Most SPBCP Project PreparationDocuments (PPDs) recogniseecotourism as one of the most suitablepotential income-generating activities,and several CAs (Koroyanitu, Vatthe,Utwa�Walung and others) have alreadystarted work in this area.

The Technical and ManagementAdvisory Group (TMAG) and theMulti-Partite Meeting have thereforesought professional training anddevelopment opportunities in the fieldof ecotourism management for CAproject staff, a request that has beenechoed at regional training workshopsby the CASOs themselves.

SPBCP therefore organised a firsttraining workshop on ecotourismplanning and management, which washeld in Kosrae, Federated States ofMicronesia from 24 July to 8 August1997. In planning the workshop, wesought to adhere to a number ofprinciples:

� use trainers who have both excellenttraining skills and practicalexperience in the field

� keep the number of participants lowenough for the trainers to payindividualised attention to eachparticipant

� limit participation to those projectswhich are already engaged in thedevelopment of ecotourismventures, or are about to launchinto these

� have participants preparethoroughly for the workshop,including the gathering of data onthe level and nature of currenttourist visits to their CA andadjacent areas

� structure the workshop programmeto make maximum use of theexperience and skills of theparticipants

� participants to develop, beforecompleting the workshop, an actionplan setting out the activities in thefield of ecotourism that eachparticipant feels they can committhemselves to over the next six to12 months

� provide the opportunity forworkshop participants, if they sodesire, to seek further assistancefrom the trainers in the monthsfollowing the workshop

The trainers were Rob Macalister andGrant Trewenack of the Australianecotourism training firm terra firmaassociates, and Dave Bamford of theNew Zealand tourism consultancyTourism Resource Consultants. Roband Grant have both had a number ofyears� experience running tours forecotourists in Papua New Guinea andSolomon Islands, whilst Dave hasworked extensively as an ecotourismconsultant in Asia and the Pacific. Theworkshop was co-funded by NewZealand ODA, whose support madepossible Dave Bamford�s participationin the workshop. They also sent several

owners of ecotourism lodges inMarovo Lagoon (Solomon Islands) toparticipate in the course.

Unfortunately recurrent problems withthe air service to Kosrae meant thatseveral participants were unable tomake it to the workshop. However, inthe event there were 13 participantsfrom five countries: Fiji, Vanuatu, CookIslands, Solomon Islands and theFederated States of Micronesia. Theworkshop programme was veryintensive, covering areas such as:

� tourism awareness� tour product development� project development� resource management� community development� creating a business� training skills and training needs

analysis� tour guides and interpretation

Two current tourism sites in Kosraewere visited: the Utwa�WalungMangrove Channel and Lelu Ruins. Asan exercise, participants developedthree tour products for the Utwa�Walung Conservation Area. The CAproject found these very usefuldocuments for their planning process.In addition, each participant completedan Action Plan. Most participants foundthe course highly relevant to their workin the field of ecotourism, and said thatthe information they gained would bedirectly usable by them in their day-to-day work.

Follow-up activity since the workshophas included preparation of anecotourism development plan forKomarindi Conservation Area, carriedout with the help of Grant Trewenackin October/November; and a tour

continued on page 14

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The proposal for the establishment ofa Pacific Regional Conservation TrustFund was one of the key issuesdiscussed at the 6th South PacificConference on Nature Conservationand Protected Areas, held in Pohnpeiin September�October 1997.

Participants were able to review thefirst draft of the Concept Paper forthe trust fund, which has been preparedby Elliot Rosenberg of the UnitedStates Environmental ProtectionAuthority (USEPA) on behalf of theUN Economic and Social Commissionfor Asia and the Pacific (PacificOperations Centre) (ESCAP/POC).Two working groups reviewed theproposal, and developedrecommendations on the mosteffective structure and method ofoperation for such a trust fund in thePacific islands region. A final reviseddraft of Mr Rosenberg�s report isexpected before the end of January.

Essentially, a trust fund is like a bankaccount. When funds are received fromdonors, instead of allocating themimmediately to projects they are�banked� in the trust fund. Thesemonies, which are referred to as theprincipal, are invested in interest-earningaccounts, bonds or other approvedinvestments. The income earned fromthese investments, less the cost ofadministering the fund and anyallowance for inflation, is then availablefor disbursement to projects which meetthe objectives of the trust fund.

By their very nature, trust funds arelong-term, high input vehicles forconservation support. However, theyhave the advantage of providing a stablesource of funds which is managed byand for the region.

The primary purpose of the proposedPacific trust fund is seen as being toprovide a source of ongoing financialsupport for existing conservation areas,whether currently supported under theSPBCP or not, and to assist other suchareas to become established. However,at the discretion of the trust board,other activities which contribute to theconservation of Pacific islandsbiodiversity may also receive support.

Participants at the Pohnpei conferencerecommended that the trust boardshould, wherever possible, workthrough and support existing nationalbodies. The regional body could haveresponsibility for fundraising,investment and broad policy ondisbursement of trust income. Nationalbodies could tailor disbursementcriteria to the specific requirements ofthe country concerned, manage theapplication process and takeresponsibility for monitoring andevaluation. Where there is no existingbody at the national level that couldfulfill this role, the regional trust boardshould, over time, assist nationalgovernments to develop such a body.

Many aspects remain to be decidedabout how the trust fund should bestructured, and how it should operate.These include:

� the relationship between the trust fundand SPREP

� staffing requirements (if any) of thetrust fund

� physical location and legal domicile ofthe fund

� the target size of the fund (MrRosenberg�s report proposes US $22million)

filling vacancies as they arise (MrRosenberg has proposed that decisionson the filling of vacant positions bemade at the biennial SPREP Meeting)

� interim Manual of Procedures for thetrust fund, including interiminvestment guidelines and interimcriteria for assessment of fundingapplications

� �good governance� provisionsgoverning conflict of interest,openness and accountability

These issues will be considered in detailby a design team, who will consultwidely within the region before finalisingthe project document for submissionto donors. The membership of thedesign team and their programme ofwork is currently under consideration.

REGIONAL CONSERVATIONTRUST FUND PROPOSAL

GAINS SUPPORT

Any suggestions orcomments would bewarmly welcomed here atSPREP. Your ideas shouldbe sent to:

Joe Reti,Head,Conservation andNatural ResourcesDivision,SPREP.

Email: sprep@samoa.net

Ì

� the structure and membership of theinitial trust board, and the method of

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continued from page 1Uafato in Action

continued on page 14

UAFATO CONSERVATIONAREA PROJECT

The two major tropical cyclones in 1990and 1991 highlighted the susceptibilityof areas such as Uafato�Tiavea todisasters of this nature. A nationwidesurvey of potentially important naturalareas was undertaken, and the Uafato�Tiavea area was designated as the toppriority for conservation.

Uafato village forms part of theUafato�Tiavea region described on pageone, and is located in the district ofFagaloa, about an hour and half byroad to the east of the capital of Apia.Following preliminary awarenessprogrammes conducted by O leSiosiomaga Society in 1993, the entireUafato community agreed in March1994 that the whole of the terrestrialarea within the boundaries of Uafatovillage should be officially recognisedas a Conservation Area.

The major concern of O le Siosiomagaback then was protecting the area, andin particular encouraging the Uafatocommunity to oppose the extraction ofthe last stands of Ifilele (Intsia bijuga)from the village�s forests. Ifilele is a highquality hardwood much prized bycraftsmen, and at that time theGovernment was seen as being unableor unwilling to counter in a timelymanner the threat posed by logging.

Uafato village, like any other remotecommunity area in the world, has beenwilling to welcome developers who offerto provide high cash returns,infrastructure, big developments and

employment to the village in exchangefor access to the village�s limited andhighly valuable natural resources.

In 1995, with SPREP�s help, a seriesof consultations were carried out withthe Uafato community. A five-yearcommunity-oriented management planwas devised by consultants working withO le Siosiomaga Society and the localcommunity, with the overall objectiveof maintaining the pristine condition ofthe Uafato area and sustainablymanaging its resources.

To ensure the commitment of theentire Uafato community to thisconservation initiative, the village�spriority needs were identified. A keyfinding was that the village needed aproper water reticulation system. Formany years the village had had to dowithout access to high quality drinkingwater. SPBCB recognised theimportance of clean water to thecommunity, but was concerned toensure that any financial support forinfrastructure development was seennot as an inducement to conserve theforests, but as part of a package ofinitiatives that would improve livingconditions and opportunities forsustainable use of the village�sresources. Eventually agreement was

reached, and by March 1997 everyhousehold in Uafato village had a stand-pipe connected to the newly-constructed water intake on a nearbystream.

There have been several othersignificant developments which are partof or relevant to the Uafato CA project.In August 1997 the national uplandflora survey was completed. One ofthe findings of the survey was that theUafato area contained 40% of Samoa�sflora diversity. At the same time, baselinesurvey training was provided for theCASO and two CA assistants whovolunteered to work full-time in theConservation Area.

The bird survey carried out in Uafatothe same year recorded the presenceof the tooth-billed pigeon, knownlocally as the Manumea, Samoa�s mostendangered endemic bird. When it wasspotted in Uafato this was the first suchsighting in five years.

Finishing up the year for 1997 was theIfilele timber volume survey, which hasprovided a clear estimate of theharvestable volume of timber in theUafato forests. This provides the basisfor the development of prescriptionsfor sustainably managing this importantresource. The permanent sample plotsestablished during the Ifilele survey willalso form the basis for a ten-yearmonitoring programme, to detect the

The bird survey carried out in Uafato the same yearrecorded the presence of the tooth-billed pigeon,

known locally as the Manumea, Samoa�s mostendangered endemic bird. When it was spotted in

Uafato this was the first such sighting in five years.

Looking down to Uafato village at Fagaloa Bay. Photo: James Atherton

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consideration of this idea has beendeferred pending completion of theactivities set out in the Uafato ProjectPreparation Document.

Editor�s note: an area can only benominated for listing under the WorldHeritage Convention by theGovernment of a country that is asignatory to the convention. To date,the only countries in the Pacific islandsregion which are signatories to theconvention are Papua New Guinea,Solomon Islands and Fiji.

For more information about UafatoConservation Area, please contact:

Dion AleConservation Area Support OfficerUafato Conservation Area projectPO Box 5774MatautuSamoa

Phone: +685 25897/ Fax: +685 21993.

Visits to the Uafato Conservation Areacan be arranged through our officefrom 8:00am�4.00pm Monday toFriday. After hours call +685 70806and ask for Dion.

continued from page 13Uafato in Action

impact of timber cutting on Ifilelerecruitment.

Uafato has been identified as a seedcollecting site under the Australian-funded Commonwealth Scientific andIndustrial Research Organisation�SouthPacific Regional Initiative on ForestGenetic Resources (CSIRO�SPRIG)project. It is hoped that seeds from allof Upolu�s endemic species of trees canbe collected at Uafato.

Partnerships with government andinternational agencies seen also aspotential partners is one of the keyfeatures of the Uafato ConservationArea project, and is seen as an importantmechanism for promoting the area.

For example, last year considerationwas given by the Australian GreatBarrier Reef Marine Park Authority(GBRMPA) to designating Uafato aspart of a regional Marine ProtectedArea (MPA) system. Whilst this did not

proceed, it is indicative of the type ofpartnership that could be developed.

I hope that in years to come UafatoCA will be a focus for ecotourism,research, cultural experience,environmental internships and manyeducation programmes which requireclose interaction with the environment.There have already been a number ofpeople from Sweden, Germany,Denmark and the US who have visitedthe area under such programmes. Theytend to come for an average of fivedays.

Uafato village is of cultural importanceas, according to some accounts, the sitewas called the Ninth Heavens wherethe god of the Samoan people, Tagaloa,resided before the white men firstlanded in Samoa. By these accounts,the name �Samoa� originated in Uafatovillage.

There was some initial discussion ofthe possibility of the Uafato area beingnominated for listing under the WorldHeritage Convention. However, further

continued from page 11Ecotourism Training & Development........

guide training workshop and ecotourismreview for Utwa�Walung CA, held inNovember with the help of RobMacalister. In September, the TakitumuCA held a three-day ecotourismawareness and planning workshop, withthe assistance of a wide range of peoplefrom the Rarotongan businesscommunity and government agencies,and Michael McGrath from SPBCP.

Tourism Resource Consultants havesince been appointed the ManagementServices Consultant (MSC) forNZODA assistance to Koroyanitu CA,and Dave Bamford and his colleagueBruce Watson have made several visitsto Fiji in November and December to

begin the process of ecotourismplanning for the Koroyanitu area.During the most recent visit, agreementwas reached on the renovation ofcertain facilities, the development of ajoint NZODA/SPBCP/NLTBmanagement framework, interiminformation materials about ecotourismopportunities in the conservation area,and integration of the research phaseof the ecotourism operation into theoverall PRA programme for theConservation Area.

The development of the ecotourismventure at Vatthe is now well under way,and the Matantas village resort�comprising six bungalows and a

restaurant�was formally opened inNovember. Further training of cooksand tour guides is planned for 1998,along with a review and evaluation ofthe ecotourism venture.

It is hoped to organise a secondecotourism planning and managementtraining course during 1998, both forthose projects which did not participatein the first course but are now in theearly stages of planning for ecotourismin their Conservation Area, and forthose CAs who participated in the firstcourse but would like to have additionalpeople trained. A final decision on thedate and venue for the course will bemade before the end of February. Ì

Ì

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Throughout the Pacific, foresttimber resources are underthreat from habitat destructionand overharvesting. In Samoaprobably the most threatenedtimber tree is Ifilele (Intsia bijuga)a highly valued hardwood

traditionally carved into woodenhandicrafts such as tanoa (kava bowls),walking sticks and war clubs. The tree isused for similar purposes in Fiji (calledvesi) and in Tonga (fehi). Ifilele isconsidered to have the finest wood inSamoa because of its hardness, richgolden brown grain, and high durability.

The Uafato Conservation Area (Upolu,Samoa) has probably the largest andbest quality Ifilele stands left in Samoa.This fact was one of the main reasonsfor the declaration of the conservationarea by Samoa�s environmental NGO,O le Siosiomaga Society, in 1996. Arelated rationale was the fact that Uafatovillage is highly dependent on Ifilele, andthat sustainable management of theresource is a critical issue for the long-term economic viability of the village.

Uafato village is isolated, with poor roadaccess, and is located on extremelyrugged and mountainous land. This meansthat there are limited opportunities forconventional agricultural development. Asa result of these economic constraints,the people of Uafato are dependent onhandicraft manufacture as the majorsource of village income. Uafatohandicrafts are renowned throughoutSamoa for their high quality and the villageis one of the largest suppliers to thehandicraft market in Apia.

In Uafato, like everywhere else inSamoa, Ifilele is seriously threatened byexcessive harvesting. The threat to the

tree is compounded by the fact that thetree does not disperse well, is extremelyslow growing and is very scattered indistribution. This threat was identifiedin the early days of the establishmentof the conservation area, and it wasagreed that there was a need to developa sustainable management plan forIfilele. Such a plan would, for example,set limits on the number of trees to becut every year and on the method ofharvest. However, information on thevolume, distribution and growthcharacteristics of the tree was lacking,making it very difficult to establish aneffective Ifilele management plan.

In June 1997 an Ifilele timber inventoryof the Uafato Conservation Area wascommissioned by SPREP, to providethe data needed for the Ifilelemanagement plan. The timberinventory was designed to gather dataon the volume and distribution of Ifilelein the Conservation Area, andultimately to establish a sustainable levelof harvest. The inventory comprised

a three-week field survey of Ifileledistribution, a shorter communitysurvey of Ifilele harvesting practicesin the CA and the establishment of twopermanent sample plots to monitor thegrowth and regeneration of Ifilele overa number of years.

Ifilele was only recorded in 16 of the80 plots surveyed in the CA and wasfound to be extremely scattered indistribution, growing in very smallpockets of less than ¼ of a hectareand concentrated on ridge tops below300m (1000 feet). The merchantablevolume of Ifilele (trees > 50 cm indiameter) is estimated to be only about1000 trees. Assuming the tree reachesmaturity after about 75 years, theestimated sustainable merchantablevolume of Ifilele is about 21 cubicmetres or only 13 trees per year.

The current level of Ifilele harvest inthe CA is about 40�50 trees per year,by about 40 active wood carvers. Onthis basis the current harvest levelappears to be well in excess of theestimated sustainable harvest level. Inaddition, the study found that therecruitment of mature Ifilele trees onexploited ridges is problematic, and thatthe demand for Ifilele carvings is likelyto increase, putting pressure on carversto further increase their harvesting rate.

When these factors are put together itbecomes clear that an Ifilelemanagement plan must be implementedsoon if the Uafato carving industry isto have a long term future.

At the time of writing (December1997) the Ifilele management plan isyet to be finalised by the village.However, a number of possible options

by James Atherton, Francois Martel & Associates, Apia, Samoa

SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF IFILELE

in Uafato Conservation Area, Samoa

Some of the handicrafts made fromIfilele tree from Uafato. Photo: James Atherton

continued on page 18

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conversations turned to Ruapehu,Rabaul and Pinatubo.

We dropped anchor on a rocky coastlate in the afternoon and scanned theshore for a jetty. AusAID money hasn�tgot this far, so everything had to beloaded into a 12-foot aluminium dinghy,ferried to the coast and then tossed tothose waiting on the rock platform�no mean feat in a surging sea with duskfalling. The leap ashore was a real testbut everything and everybody arrivedsafely. Our planned campsite, the oldschool building in a deserted village, wasa further ten-minute climb up a steepgully. Three trips per person wererequired to cart all the gear, the lastcouple completed by torchlight listeningfor evidence of the �man-eating� wildpigs rumoured to inhabit Tofua.

The old village site of Hakula isa desolate place inhabited onlyby pigs, dogs and chickens, allof which turned out to greet us,lured by the smell of food. Onlythree buildings remain, theschoolhouse being in the bestcondition, and this became�home� for eight days. Unfor-tunately it was already occupiedby fleas and mosquitoes which revelledin our company. Pitching the tent insidethe building kept the mossies at bay,but the fleas were impossible to contain.Depending on the weather the clearedarea around the building was either adust bowl or a mud heap, making anexcellent foraging ground for the 40 orso pigs, so camping out wasn�t anenticing alternative. Fortunately therewas plenty of fresh water, courtesy ofan AusAID-installed rain tank.

The evening meal of fish stew andboiled taro was to become familiar fareby the end of the trip, relieved onlyoccasionally by tinned corned beef andnoodles. Sunday umu was a highlight,with one unfortunate pig providing awelcome change in diet. Passionfruit,

oranges and lemons growing inabundance around the village ensuredthe party did not succumb to scurvy,something of major concern forprevious expeditioners to the island.With less than satisfactory hygieneconditions in the �kitchen� the cooksdid well to ensure that the entire trippassed without any food-relatedillnesses, particularly for the palangiconsultants whose stomachs were notaccustomed to Tongan food.

The first day was spent surveying theisland from the old crater rim, reachedby a strenuous 400 metre climb taking40 minutes. The wider sections of therim are pockmarked with mini craters upto 20 metres deep, providing shelter fora range of ferns and Casuarina. A 45-minute walk along this section broughtus to a spectacular view into the hugeexpanse of the old crater, dominated bythe lake and the active crater directlybelow. Extinct craters, old lava flows,

ash fields and different forest typesprovided contrasting patterns and colours.

We continued west of the active crater,where the ash and sulphur outfall hascreated a moonscape of layers of rockand lava distorted into weird, twistedformations. As we traversed thissection we were continually buffeted bystrong winds carrying blasts ofsulphurous fumes. With the windcontinuing to strengthen we reached asection where the crater rim narrows toa knife-edge no more than a metre wide,with steep ash scree slopes on either side.As we returned late in the day to beginthe descent to the camp the cloud liftedto reveal the stunning outline of Kao.

Over the following week we descendedinto the old crater on three separate

occasions, each time at a different point.On each occasion the terrain lookedimpossible to descend from the vantagepoint of the rim. Tracks are rare, butat least in vegetated areas there issomething to cling to. On the firstoccasion we descended down a narrowgully full of waist-high ferns and thenslipped, slid, swung and fell 350 metresto the forest floor below, working ourway down thickly covered ridges, attimes perilously close to cliff edges.

The gradient was about 1 in 2.5 but wewere able to control our rate of descentby hanging on to vegetation and plantingour feet in the deep, soft leaf litter. Wespent the afternoon working in amature rainforest described by ArtWhistler as �the best he�d seen inPolynesia�. The canopy reaches over30 metres, and many of the trees havediameters in excess of a metre. Giantpongo ferns (like a slim Man Fern) riseover 20 metres, vines hang from every

tree, the trunks of which arefestooned with orchids and smallferns. The forest floor isrelatively clear but huge volcanicrock outcrops create an eerielandscape. Tree plots andvegetation surveys completed wecommenced the return to thecrater rim, a tough 40-minutescramble.

On the following day we had plannedto visit a patch of forest in a far cornerof the lake, across old lava fields.Having camped on the rim overnightwe had little water remaining andneeded to reach the lake to replenishsupplies. Based on a 1974 topographicmap we anticipated an easy descent tothe lake through the lava field, and sodid not get going until 9.30 am. Severalattempts to cut a track to the lava fromthe crater rim were thwarted by cliffsnot evident on the map. Eventually wefound a route and by late morningreached a vast, open expanse of looselava and ash that compressed underfootas we crossed it.

We headed down a narrow ash field thatappeared to go all the way to the lake.

continued from page 5Ha�apai Conservation...

The next 30 minuteswere a bushwalking nightmare.

Bottomless lava tubes disguised by a thickcarpet of fern meant that every footfall hadto be tested with a stick. At one stage the

guide disappeared down one of thesetubes.......

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However, cresting a hill we wereconfronted with an impenetrably denseforest. Over the top of the forest wecould see the lake still some 250�300metres below. After returning to the topof the ash-field we attempted to followa river of bizarrely twisted lava,extremely sharp, but very brittle. Thegoing was unstable underfoot andcamouflaged by ferns, and our progresswas painstakingly slow.

By early afternoon, although we hadcrossed the lava field it was obviouswe could not reach the lake, let aloneget any work done, and still return tothe village before dark. The crater rim,on which we expected to find a track,looked to be an easy climb above usthrough the forest so we decided tobushwhack up the steep slope ratherthan back track across the lava field.

The first section of forest was relativelyeasy but a short traverse across thickhumus and lava rubble revealedanother, previously hidden ridge andgully. The next 30 minutes were abushwalking nightmare. Bottomless lavatubes disguised by a thick carpet of fernmeant that every footfall had to betested with a stick. At one stage the guidedisappeared down one of these tubes,saving himself only by throwing out hisarms and grabbing the sides. Luckily, itwas a narrow one!

Our next test was a break in the forest,apparently created when a block hadfallen away from the side of the cratercreating a metre-wide crevice. No soundwas returned by rocks dropped into theabyss and it stretched as far as we couldtraverse in either direction. Evidentlythe only way across was to crawl alongthe roots of a tree that spanned thegap and then up a branch�no routefor the faint-hearted!

Another 15 minutes through forestdotted with lava tubes saw us gain thecrater rim, mid-afternoon by now andwith a cold sea mist scudding in. Withvisibility down to 50 metres, densevegetation, lava tubes, the constant upand down of small gullies and the old

path barely evident we lamented ourdecision to take the crater rim option.At least the occasional showers meantthat empty water bottles were no longera concern. Eventually the old pathbecame clearer and took us into forest,making for safer walking and easiertrack cutting. We arrived back at thevillage just before dark, thankful tohave returned intact to the �flea riddenmossie pit� just in time for another fishstew!

Our third descent into the old craterwas far more enjoyable. Once again thedescent was steep but aided by deepleaf litter and vines to swing on wequickly dropped a couple of hundredmetres to a mature open forest ofCasuarina thriving in the old ash beds.

The last section of the track to the lakepassed through the 1926 lava flow, atwisted black mass of sharp, unstablerock. A couple of us swam in the lake,despite its strong smell of sulphur. Thefinal ascent to the active volcano, whichhad been grumbling and venting steamall day, was a scramble across aprogressively steep slope of ash and lava.

Our arrival at the rim was greeted withan almighty �whoosh� and a huge belchof sulphur gas. Fortunately, we wereupwind! We could not go too close tothe edge as there was evidence ofcracking, but we worked our way close

enough to see into the crater just as thesmoke and steam cleared. The crateris about 80 metres across andapparently bottomless. As we retracedour steps to the campsite on the rimof the old crater we were greeted by aspectacular sunset. We made the mostof our last night camping on the rimunder stunningly clear, starry nightskies�the ominous grumbling of thevolcano nearby adding a specialdimension to the experience.

On the ninth day the boat returned totransfer the expedition to Kao, after firsttaking us on a circumnavigation ofTofua to view the vegetation and thesite of Bligh�s landing. The landing onKao was even hairier than Tofua butwas completed without too muchdrama. The boat had brought freshsupplies from Pangai�bread, cheese,tomatoes and beer (unfortunately, notchilled)�and the divers had caughtlobster the night before, so lunch was agrand feast.

No buildings remain on Kao, althoughthere is a brand new 5000 litre fibreglasstank and several lengths of gutteringin a clearing on the foreshore! Afterpitching the tents on a grassy rockpromontory with spectacular views ofboth volcanoes we spent some timeplanning the climb of Kao, surveying

KAO - a dormant 1109 metre cone west of Ha�apai, Tonga Photo: Michael Hortle

continued on page 18

vegetation and exploring the forests andforeshore.

The following day dawned clear andsunny. As the time of departure drewcloser the previously large group ofenthusiastic climbers dwindled. Thefinal group that set off from camparound 8.30 am comprised four palangiand one Tongan guide. Although thetourist guide books say it is an overnightclimb, our local guide was confident wewould return before dark. The trackstarted through old kava plantations,thick bracken and Pandanus scrub beforebreaking out into an open forest of largetrees on a steep slope.

The forest disappeared at 430 metresand we were on steep slopes coveredwith low fern and grass. Following anarrow ridge line with steep gullies oneither side, the fern becameprogressively thicker and wetter and theslope steeper. Towards the top therewas thick sphagnum underfoot and theferns were waist-high, in placesrequiring us to scramble on hands andknees. After three and a half hours weclambered onto a narrow ridge and

peered over the top to a 200 metresheer drop to the old crater on the otherside. We edged our way along the ridgeto the highest point and sat to take in thespectacular view, cloudless sky, deep bluesea, contrasting greens in the crater below.

Where we sat for lunch, the crater rimwas about a metre wide and thickly cladwith fern and moss. From this vantagepoint we could see a panorama of thecoral islands of Ha�apai to the east, thesmoking crater of Tofua to the south,and to the distant north the cone of Lateand the blob of the volcanic island ofLomu, which only emerged in April 1996and still gushes steam where the rockmeets the water. With almost no wind,the serenity of the highest point in Tongawas breathtaking. Art Whistler, who hadslowly �botanised� his way to the top,arrived a couple of hours after the restof us, but he had the all-importantcelebratory beers!

We were back in camp by 5 pm, in timefor a snorkel. Superb! A sapphire sea,visibility 40�50 metres, huge volcanicboulders, corals, caves and lava tubes anda myriad of large reef fish: how couldsnorkelling be better? About 20 metresoffshore the slope of the volcanocontinues, and the bottom descendsrapidly out of sight to the sea floor 600�

700 metres below. It�s an eerie feelingsnorkelling in water that deep.

A perfect day! And what�s more, the goalsof the survey had been completedsuccessfully. Art had samples of hundredsof plants carefully named, dried andpressed in Sione�s makeshift drying unit;Geoff had pages of notes and diagrams;little bits of pink tape marked thenumerous sites of tree plots and transects,and between us we had taken enoughphotos to illustrate all aspects of thesurvey.

The following day we departed forhome, but not before circumnavigatingKao to view some of the smaller cratersand deep gullies running to the summit.The boat, packed to the gunwales withgear, plants, bags of volcanic rock forumu or earth ovens, and bags of sandand gravel for graves, made slowprogress across a big, rolling southerlyswell. As the outlines of the twovolcanoes slowly dwindled a humpbackwhale provided a spectacular tailslapping display in the rays of the settingsun. A great experience, at timesdangerous and frustrating, but never dulland certainly never to be forgotten bythose who participated.

exist. These include restrictions onIfilele harvest levels, definition ofvarious management zones within theCA, encouragement of carvers todiversify to other timber species,repair of the Ifilele resource throughenrichment and cluster planting, andthe encouragement of other income-generation activities such as theproduction of woven handicrafts.While on the surface the situationlooks bleak, there is every reason tobelieve that as long as the villageworks together to manage theirresource, Uafato carvers will continueto be able to make beautiful Ifilelekava bowls forever.

continued from page 15Management of Ifilele...

For more information, contact:

James AthertonFrancois Martel &AssociatesApia,SamoaPh/Fax : 685 25 323

continued from page 17Ha�apai Conservation...

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CASOLink

POSTSCRIPT: A photographic recordof the trip was prepared for the 1997Ha�apai Royal Agricultural Show. Itcreated great interest amongst bothlocals and tourists, and several touristshave since visited the project office forguidance on visiting the volcanoes.Following the Kosrae ecotourismworkshop there is now talk ofdeveloping a tour to the islands.

My experience asUafato CASO

In 1993 I started working as anenvironmental officer for the majorenvironmental NGO in Samoa, O leSiosiomaga Society. O le Siosiomagasubsequently became the lead agencyfor the Uafato Conservation Areaproject, and in 1996 I was formallyappointed as the Uafato CASO, eventhough arrangements were already welladvanced for me to study for a degreein Aviation at Massey University.

Who persuaded me to stay? None otherthan the Rev Asotasi. When I was aboutto tender my resignation, ReverendAsotasi of the Uafato CACCapproached me. My grandmotheralways reminded me that deepconsideration should be taken whenevera man of God requests a favour. So, Idid.

Anyway, I have now had four yearsworking in the Conservation Area. TheUafato people call me �John�. Itstemmed from the difficulty they hadin pronouncing my name, but thatdidn�t bother me; John-Jim-Jay-Jack-Mary, it doesn�t matter to me. All I�minterested in is helping the communityto understand the whole philosophy ofthe Uafato CA, and ensuring that thereis continuity in the project�s dealings withthe Uafato community.

Being bilingual (Samoan/English) wasa great advantage in implementing theawareness programme. There werealways the conservative members ofthe village who were sensitive to newinitiatives, particularly when the matterbeing discussed was the fate of thewhole village forest. Some of them wereconcerned that their right to the landwould be taken away, others were verysceptical about how much benefit thevillage would receive if they agreed totheir forest becoming part of aregionally recognised ConservationArea network.

Fortunately effective environmentaleducation and awareness and help fromthe village Congregational ChristianChurch minister helped us to reachagreement. It was a great experience,and a very challenging one for me. Ihad to translate everything spoken andwritten about the Conservation Areaconcept into Samoan so that the villagecould understand, and then translatetheir responses into English so that theycould be understood by our projectdesign team.

The implementation process could befrustrating at times. When our workstarted in Uafato, I had to carry outmany preliminary tasks. They were

�The Uafato people call me �John�. It stemmed from the difficulty they had in pronouncing myname, but that didn�t bother me; John-Jim-Jay-Jack-Mary, it doesn�t matter to me.�

WHAT I HATE THE MOST:Dirty politics and unnecessary bureaucracy

THE PERSON I RESPECT THE MOST:Paramount Chief Tuimalatu Viliata of Uafato

MY DREAM:Uafato to be the Best Ecotourism Spot in Samoa

WHAT I LIKE MOST ABOUT UAFATO CA:Working at the grassroots level

WHAT I LIKE MOST ABOUT OUR OFFICE:It�s an NGO

time-consuming but the process didhelp to create a firm base for futureactivities. Like most people, I guess, wehave encountered problems at everylevel: with the community, within myown organisation and with thesupervising organisation/donors.

Actions speak louder than words. Seeingis believing. Whether you�re a goodorator from outside or have a Ph.D. incommunity-based conservation, talkwithout action is no good if you�redealing with a community like Uafato.If you can�t do something, simply admitit, otherwise you be called a liar or hearthe worst thing you would ever want tohear. The Uafato community is action-oriented, and expects to see CA activitiesactually happen as promised ordiscussed, whether formally orinformally.

To be frank, I�m still in the process offinalising my Conservation Areaproject�s second, third and finalquarterly reports for 1997. I hope I�mnot the only one with the same problem.But guess why? I�m not familiar enoughwith the MS Excel quarterly reportingformat devised by SPBCP, plus I hatethe accounting part of the work. Youcan ask me anything you like aboutbiodiversity conservation in Uafato, orin Samoa in general, and I will be happyto give you an inch-thick report, but Ihate the accounting part of the SPBCPquarterly report!

Our office has just recently installed anadvanced version of Excel but, needlessto say, I still don�t know how to use it.But no more excuses! I�m glad that Tina,SPBCPs new Executive Officer, whohas just started, will help me masterSPBCPs reporting format; particularlythe cashbook extract part.

In

Summary

by Dion Ale

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CASOLink

PrintedMatterOnly

Air Mail

SPREP, PO Box 240, Apia, SamoaTel: (685) 21 929, Fax: (685) 20231

Email: sprep@samoa.net

Inside ...Uafato in Action: the Uafato� Tiavea Region .........................................1

CA News .....................................................2

From the ProgrammeManager�s desk .....................................3

Ha�apai Conservation Area Volcano Expedition ..............................5

Crater Mountain Wildlife

Management Area PNG ......................6

Campaigning for Coral Reefsin the Pacific ..........................................8

Ecotourism Training and

Development ..................................... 11

Regional Conservation Trust

Fund Proposal Gains Support ........... 12Management of Ifilele in Uafato

Conservation Area, Samoa ............. 15

My Experience as Uafato CASO .......... 19Technical editor: Michael McGrathEditor: Jan SinclairLayout: Apiseta Eti

CASOLink is the newsletter of the South PacificBiodiversity Conservation Programme, which is basedat SPREP in Samoa and funded from the GEF throughUNDP and also by the Government of Australia

n On 19 February 1998 Samoa�s Head ofState Malietoa Tanemafili II awarded UafatoCASO Dion Ale the chiefly title ofPapali�itele Dion Ale, in recognition ofhis services to conservation, including hiswork in the Uafato Conservation Area.

n SPREP�s email number has changed.Please note, it is now:sprep@samoa.net

Misa Kulutea, a tour guide in Huvalu Forest CA, in Niue, explains traditional coconut crab managementtechniques. His family make burrows and chambers for coconut crabs, using rocks. The chambers are

topped with rocks, which can be lifted off. Coconuts are put in the chambers, and the coconut crabs maketheir way to the coconuts through the constructed burrows. They are free to leave at any time but generally

don�t, relishing the ready supply of coconuts. Locals relish the ready supply of coconut crabs.

STOP PRESS STOP PRESS STOP PRESS