Restoring sea cucumbers wild stock and improving women fisheries in Palau

© Ebiil Society

Food security, gender equality and socio-economic resilience, are all co-benefits of the local Kiwa Initiative project in Palau.

🎯The aim of this local project is to restore the natural stock of sea cucumbers and contribute to the economic development of the lead women working on the project. When clams reach a suitable size, they are marketed.

The community is now exploring opportunities to expand its work with the government of Palau.

🌊The sustainable cultivation of sea cucumbers contributes to the protection and restoration of marine ecosystems while bringing economic and environmental benefits.

➡️To find out more about this IUCN update on protection and restoration of marine ecosystems in Palau.

➡️To find out more about this Kiwa Intiative local project in Palau.

© KiwaInitiative

The World Oceans Day was a great opportunity for Sharon Truce, the marine program coordinator, to give us some news of the project.
 
Did you know? Sea cucumbers are a vital component of the ocean ecosystem, providing food for many species, and also a natural vacuum cleaner that keeps the sea floor clean. The Ebiil Society works closely with women and young women from their community, in this restoration work, by ensuring their growing stocks for future generations.

Watch the last updates of the project in this video: https://lnkd.in/eMn2Dhdz: https://lnkd.in/eMn2Dhdz

© Kiwa Initiative

In Palau, the Kiwa Initiative is supporting a project to #restore the wild stock of sea cucumbers that includes improving nursing. Margie Olsudong and other women in her community are working with the @Ebiil Society NGO to increase knowledge and use of sustainable harvesting practices.

A source of economic income for the fisherwomen, sea cucumbers are also a valuable food resource that can help families in times of emergency, such as after a natural disaster like a cyclone, when crops are damaged. In addition, the sea cucumber plays a vital role in the maintenance of the sea bed by sucking up and filtering sediments, which improves the quality of the water and helps to restore the biodiversity of the environment.

Discover in this video the transect* method used by Maguy to count the number of sea cucumbers and evaluate their stock!

*Transect: a tool for representing space along an imaginary line that allows observation of the field, without a map or plan

© Ebiil Society

The Ebiil Society in Ngardmau, Palau, is empowering women fishers to adopt sustainable practices while protecting marine ecosystems. Key achievements include:

1. Sustainable Livelihoods: Women fishers transitioned from traditional fishing to operating four giant clam farms, with 4,000 clam seeds provided to support sustainable income generation.
2. Sea Cucumber Reseeding: The project reared 8,000 sandfish and grayfish sea cucumbers, distributed to 49 participants (including 22 women fishers) for cultivation and reseeding. In Ngarchelong-Bengall reef, 300 giant clams were also released, enhancing marine biodiversity.
3. Environmental Education: Educational programs reached 231 students, teaching seagrass ecology, biodiversity, endangered species, and the role of women in fisheries.
4. Monitoring and Results: Monitoring efforts showed a significant biomass increase in restored sites. In Toluk el Bad, adult sandfish populations grew from five to 1,800 over 18,000 square feet, and in Matul, numbers rose from zero to 1,500. Spawning activity in restored areas is now observed regularly.

These efforts highlight the project's success in promoting sustainable livelihoods, biodiversity restoration, and community education.