Climate change is affecting food security on Tanimaiaki village, Butaritari Island which prompted village members to propose a project which will help enhance the adaptive capacity of Tanimaiaki village to address the impacts of climate change. The project will specifically target the marine environment which provides the main source of protein for the people of Tanimaiaki. Specific activities will include the construction of fishing canoes, procurement of a surveillance boat and establish its fisher gear revolving program. In these key activities, the overall goal of Tanimaiaki is to strengthen its current fisheries management initiatives, support subsistence fishing for a healthier diet and increase its adaptive capacity against the climate change impacts.
Tanimaiaki has an established Marine Protected Area that had been endorsed at village level as well as at the island council. In supporting Tanimaiaki in terms of strengthening its monitoring and surveillance, the Community based fisheries management project has given the village a pair of binoculars. Tanimaiaki, still need to be fully equipped to effectively monitor its marine protected areas, and this is one of its requests in this funding opportunity, the need for having an outboard motor.
Another issue that this project seeks to address is to persisting challenge with fuel shortage that has inhibited many families from fishing frequently. With the changing culture, many families no longer own traditional fishing canoes and because of their heavily reliance of boat they have neglected their old way of living. Therefore, Tanimaiaki realized the need to revive traditional fishing modes and will be building 13 canoes through this project.
Lastly, to support subsistence fishing, a fishing gear revolving program will be established to fishing gears affordable and readily available to the fishermen in Tanimaiaki. Interestingly, this program will be management by the women?s group in Tanimaiaki.
The whole project activities aim at ensuring the sustainability of marine resources, promote people of Tanimaiaki to consume fresh fish and make it easily accessible and up skill the capacity of women in the economic activities to increase their adaptive capacities against climate change impacts.