Project Detail

Minimizing the Impact of Ghost Gears to Conserve the Biodiversity of Ramanathapuram Coast through Community-Centric Collective Approach

The coastal waters and island region of Ramanathapuram district has bountiful underwater ecosystem. The locality still serves as a shelter for numerous threatened species that are in the verge of extinction. This habitat is being exploited by several anthropogenic activities. Ghost gears are one such menace for the lives under water. The project aims to achieve the participatory research on assessment of ghost gears, Capacity building and creation of awareness through training and workshops, clean-up drives for retrieval of ghost gears, promote recycle the gears to economic commodity and develop voluntary code of practice. The key outcome of the project includes primary data on the core spots of ghost gear accumulation, enhanced knowledge of 750 fishers on the impact of ghost gears, retrieved ghost nets through 10 clean up drives in the shore and 5 in islands, promote livelihood of fisherwomen through recycling and reuse of ghost gears and developed voluntary code of practice for intervention sustainability and commitment 25 from fishermen association and 100 boat owners for its implementation in their day to day fishing activities.

Project Snapshot

Grantee:

M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation

Country:

India

Area Of Work:

Biodiversity

Operational Phase:

OP7 Y3 (July 22-June 23)

Grant Amount:

US$ 48,029.00

Co-Financing Cash:

US$ 53,452.00

Co-Financing in-Kind:

Project Number:

IND/SGP/OP7/Y3/CORE/BD/2023/01

Start Date:

7/2023

End Date:

7/2025

Status:

Currently under execution

Project Characteristics and Results

Notable Community Participation

Both men and women fishers will be involved in the interventions of the project as key stakeholders. The men will be engaged in retrieval and mapping of ghost gears in shore and sea. They will also be involved in collection of ghost gears and its transportation. The active self-help group women from selected clusters will be identified, trained and engaged for the recycling process of ghost gears into value added products. They will be trained on the end-to-end process so that they will attain the economic benefit out of this project.

Gender Focus

Promoting Public Awareness of Global Environment

Information gathered and knowledge products developed from the project will be periodically communicated to fishing communities through meetings and training programmes. The ICT platform of MSSRF including the Village Resource Centre, community radio and Fisher Friend Mobile Application effectively utilized for conducting training and dissemination of knowledge on impact of ghost gears on marine biodiversity to the users. The existing community platforms like Eco development councils by Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve Trust, Co-management committees by Fisheries Department and fishermen grievances meeting organized by District Administration etc., will be effectively used for spreading the awareness on ghost gears.

Inovative Financial Mechanisms

The data collected during the project will be collated, analysed and used to estimate and bring out the extent of the problem, recommend ways and means to mitigate it and provide an insight for future policy initiatives on these issues in general and marine resource conservation in particular. The results of the research may also affect the future development of disposal and recycling equipment and establishment of these facilities at local level.

Project Results

? Produced data outputs will build evidence on the disappearance of the ghost gear issues in the project location while supporting the development of a practical approach to addressing the problem.
? A minimum of 750 fishers and fisheries stakeholders trained on ghost gear, its impact on marine bioresources and its retrieval process. 100 women trained on re-use of ghost gears as an economic commodity.
? Five islands (Shingle, Kurusadai, Pullivasal, Poomarichan, Manoli,- covering 127 hectares) and 54 km of coast/shore area covering north (Olaikuda to Vedalai) and south (Dhanuskodi to Vedalai) regions of Ramanathapuram coast protected, rehabilitated from the ill effects of ghost gears through clean up drives and follow up actions jointly organised with the key stakeholders.
? Demonstrated ghost net art has proven to be a great vehicle for alerting the public to the damage that ghost nets inflict on the marine environment
? Work collaboratively with the fishing community and evolved the voluntary guidelines to provide a viable and convenient solution for fishers to end or minimize the effect of ghost gears;
? Obtained voluntary commitment minimum from 25 fishermen association and 100 boat owners to build on the work done over the course of the project in order to secure longer term sustainability which can be replicated and integrated into routine activities of fishers to protect the biodiversity and marine habitat of the region

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