Fisheries is one of the main livelihoods of coastal communities of Qeshm Island and southern areas of Iran, and degradation of marine resources, as a result of for example pollution and overfishing, affects marine resources and local livelihoods. In Salakh Village which is a fisheries hotspot, local communities had an innovative way of restoring their marine resources by dumping objects into the sea. This idea was used in a previous SGP project for restoration of coral reefs. The project combined traditional and scientific knowledge which resulted in building ?pyramid shape? structures that were inserted into the sea. After monitoring, it was proved to be successful in building artificial reefs and sustaining fisheries at local levels. The advantage of this technique was that it used local materials (reinforced concrete) and local know-how and human resources.
The present project builds on experiences of the previous project and aims to transfer this knowledge and know-how to other coastal communities in Qeshm Island and the mainland. Therefore, the local community of Salakh Village in collaboration with other partners, will be holding training workshops and producing knowledge materials on the need for conservation and sustainable use of marine resources.