The local fishing communities have realised the need to seek further assistance for its follow up phase from the SGP to support the local inshore fishermen community for the conservation and sustainable use of fishery and mangrove ecosysten biodiversity. The present support should be viewed as a separate but folloup SGP project to the initial SGP project , which will further help to strengthen a truly grassroots based local network of traditional fishing communities that have been established in and around Seberang Prai in Penang, who are generally from the lower income group of society, while contributing towards the conservation and sustainable use of BD.
The goals of this follow up Projects are
- to facilitate the further capacity building of the local traditiional fishing communities, in the key areas of Seberang Prai, Penang towards countering the threats being posed to the conservation and sustainable use of BD and fishery resources. This will include the training of local traditional fisherfolk, including women as eco-rangers, who will serve as watchdogs and whistle blowers to address the problems of trawling, river pollution and mangrove destruction.
- to further educate, train and support more local traditional fishing communities to adopt local community based sustainable use of fishery resources and fishing methods.
- to further strengthen initiatives for the protection, conservation and sustanable use mangrove trees and ecosystems.
-to further foster and support the role of women in the local traditional fishing communities.
- to further establish a skills training/information exchange centre for the local traditional fisherfolk for enhancing their capacity and capability while conserving and sustainably using their BD.