Fishing is one of the largest employment sectors on Rodrigues, but declining catch sizes, regular landing of immature individuals and the skewed structure of the fish population illustrate that the fisheries are not sustainable. The techniques used by the fishers create further problems as trampling and deliberate breakage of coral cause substantial damage to the lagoon habitats. This is of particular concern as Rodrigues is part of the fourth most important reef ecosystem in the world. The unique nature of the island?s reefs is further highlighted by the presence of endemic coral and fish species.

The aim of the project is to improve understanding of the local environment and so promote marine conservation and fishery sustainability. It is concerned with raising awareness of the necessity for preservation of marine biodiversity in lagoon habitats and so promotes the protection and sustainable use of coastal and marine zones, and is therefore in line with the Country Programme Strategy of the UNDP GEF/SGP. The CPS also focuses on women in rural areas and coastal fishers, and members of both groups are included in the project.

The activities that will be undertaken under the project include the organisation of discovery mornings and classes for primary school children, extra-curricular courses for young people, discussion sessions with fishers and media campaigns to reach the wider community. Education materials will be produced to support these campaigns, and facilities in the form of a Marine Education Centre, and Environmental Corners for each primary school will be constructed. Workshops for primary school teachers will also be held, to develop their knowledge and skills to become marine environmental educators.

The active participation of primary school teachers is very important to the project in order to ensure that resources and training objectives are appropriate and will be valuable. The teachers have already been involved in the preparation of this project. Their comments have been incorporated into the final design of the Discovering the Ocean World pack and it was the teachers who requested that Shoals Rodrigues education team visit primary schools to give talks. Regular consultation will continue as the project progresses, through meetings and informal discussions as well as the distribution of questionnaires and evaluation sheets.

There has also been community participation in other aspects of the project. The decision to continue and expand fisher education sessions was taken as a result of the comments of fishers who valued the earlier programme. Also, the media campaign that is intended to reach the wider community will be carried out jointly with the Leo Club (the junior arm of the Lions Club) who have a similar objective to raise environmental awareness and sought collaboration with Shoals Rodrigues.

Shoals Rodrigues is a registered Association (number 6717) that has been operating since February 2001. The principal purpose of the organisation is to promote the conservation of Rodrigues? marine biodiversity and to improve the sustainability of the local fisheries. Shoals Rodrigues is staffed by two British marine biologists and eight Rodriguans. The total annual budget of the organisation was Rs5,392,038 in 2002, Rs3,631,757 in 2003 and Rs1,536,818 to end August 2004. Support has been from donors including the UNDP GEF/SGP, European Union, British, American and Canadian Governments (through their High Commissions and Embassies as well as direct programmes), charitable foundations in the US and UK, and the private sector in Mauritius. The Association is also successfully securing core funds for the future, having obtained a grant of Rs7,340,000 from the UK Darwin Initiative for the period 2005-2008.

Environmental education is one of the most successful components of Shoals Rodrigues work, and has included programmes for children and young people, the development of education resources, teacher training workshops, and outreach activities with fishers. Shoals Rodrigues scientific programmes (that include reef and lagoon monitoring and fisheries assessments) also link closely with the organisation?s environmental education work, as they provide the information to ensure that awareness programmes are appropriate and accurate. Finally, Shoals Rodrigues gives training in methods for marine research and in the practical skills to support this, and has also developed a Marine Tourist Guide training course.

The total project cost has been calculated at Rs2,705,973, of which Rs1,021,362 is requested from the UNDP GEF/SGP. Contributions towards the remaining costs have already been secured from Shoals Rodrigues, Barclays Bank, the North of England Zoological Society and the New England Biolabs Foundation, while further donations are expected from the Total Foundation and a Rufford Award.