Octopus Closed seasons Full success is yet to come

24.02.2019

Also the third attempt of an Octopus Closed Season was not a full success. Once again the small opposition in the southern part of Jambiani was very committed and torpedoed the project of the northern community wherever and whenever possible.

Shortly after the sanctuary was marked the buoys of the southern border were dismantled in a cloak-and-dagger operation and demonstratively delivered to our project manager Okala. After various village meetings and after a new marking it went on with a real small war. As soon as the patrol boat ran out, the poachers were informed by mobile phone. If the rangers were three and could hand over for once a few poachers to the authorities, the next day seven poachers were in the boat and the rangers were powerless. A few clever guys regularly took advantage of the snorkelling trips with tourists to take advantage of the rich offer. Tourist boats were allowed in the sanctuary.

In the last days before the big opening they poached around the clock. In the meantime, word had got around that not only many, but partly very large octopus were to be caught. The poachers have really skimmed! The disappointment at the local organizing committee was correspondingly great.

The actual success, that there were much more and up to 6-7 kg heavy octopus, made the hangover short. Soon it was said: We continue! We will improve the guarding! We have to sit together again with the south and the opposition!

Octopus Hunter, © C.Gough/Blue Ventures

We from marinecultures.org and from the partner organization  Blue Ventures see structural and personnel weaknesses in the local project team. This is what we are addressing. Starting in June, various workshop and training sessions will be held.

• Improvement of the co-management capacities of the marinecultures.org team
• Training local village authorities and opinion leaders in their roles in leadership, group management, good governance and local fisheries legislation.
• Conflict management within the local fisheries committees as well as in the various fishermen groups.
• Training in better surveillance techniques. Improve the structures and procedures of the responsible guards and their superiors.
• And others more.

The aim is not only to achieve effective octopus management and further closed seasons, but also to enable the community to carry out other fishing projects independently and successfully in the future. Only in this way natural marine resources can be better protected and managed more intelligently in the long term.

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