Reducing Recreational Damage
Anchor Damage

Reefs located in tourism destinations show damage from trampling, repetitive anchoring, and boat accidents.

Photo credit: Wolcott Henry

 

Improving Business Practices: CORAL trained community leaders and tourism businesses in coral reef ecology and best practices. Participants agreed to implement these practices in everyday life.

Reducing Anchor Damage: CORAL gave US$4,000 for mooring installation equipment to the PNG Divers Association. CORAL is also launching a nationwide mooring project with the association.

Elevating Education: CORAL trained tourism businesses on delivering effective environmental briefings to their clients. CORAL also created and printed environmental guidelines to give to tourists.

Reducing Destructive Fishing Practices
Overfishing catch

Overfishing and destructive techniques like blast fishing with dynamite cause significant damage to reefs.

Photo credit: Mark Erdmann

Financing for Marine Parks: CORAL is assessing the needs for and facilitating dialogue about a comprehensive user fee system for Madang Lagoon, and has also supported the development of financial management capabilities for the Madang Lagoon Association.

Raising Awareness: CORAL helped to educate local businesses and the community about sustainable tourism, threats to the reef, and coral reef ecology. Ongoing awareness efforts involve the development of locally-driven, CORAL-funded projects that address reef threats.

Providing Alternatives to Destructive Fishing: CORAL is developing training and best-practices materials to be used by marine recreation providers, educational institutions, and people interested in marine recreation careers. We are also exploring a partnership with PNG’s tourism authority to produce a similar guidebook, increasing the reach of this project even more.

Curbing Pollution and Sedimentation
sediment and pollution threaten reefs

Sedimentation from uncontrolled logging runoff and garbage from inadequate trash removal smother reefs and kill wildlife.

Photo credit:                 Ghislaine LLewellyn

  Conservation Projects: CORAL sponsored a trash pickup campaign that resulted in the removal of a considerable amount of garbage from the reef and the terrestrial areas around the Madang Lagoon. CORAL is supporting the community and marine recreation providers in the development of a project to address plastic bag waste on the reefs.