Lack of awareness due to poor sensitization is often the main reason for little understanding of environmental issues. Sharing proper information supported by valid scientific/practical proof will convince communities that are unfortunately less educated, economically deprived and directly forest dependent. Equip them not only with true information but also with tools such as camera trapping, and support for species identification and naming. Such an approach will develop a sense of belonging and inculcate ownership of the cause/purpose.

Each village is known to have a distinct set of rules and functions for social coexistence. The village community is composed of various groups that function independently to manage certain areas for their welfare in the community. However, for a common cause such as Biodiversity Conservation initiatives, these various institutions can be converged and function as a single entity.

Community Conservation Agreements are a negotiated exchange of benefits in return for changes in resource use, depending on verified performance. Once a village development committee and government authorities formalize a Conservation Agreement, it is used as the framework for all development activities within the project, and integrated with land-use planning. Benefits are channeled through village development funds, and include support for village development committees in managing the funds by building village level capacity, thereby ensuring that appropriate access and benefit sharing provisions are included in all CAs.

Scientists are often criticised for their inability to communicate research expeditions and outcomes to public audiences, both in the nations where they operate and also internationally. Nekton was founded on the principle of bringing science and story-telling together to amplify host nation scientists as leading voices and ambassadors. During the expedition, the first descents were undertaken by Seychellois scientists. Through partnership with Seychellois media, content was produced, published and broadcast within Seychelles. In partnership with Associated Press and Sky, content from the expedition was published and broadcast in 140 countries globally including 18,000 articles (in print and digital) and over 4000 video broadcast packages. These included the first live subsea documentary series, newscasts and Presidential Address by the President of Seychelles, Danny Faure.

Historically, expeditions and science research have had a reputation of taking a top-down approach including through the practice of ‘parachute science’. This includes the desire to collect numerous and diverse samples and data that is then stored outside the reach of host-nation countries. This is often especially true for research in countries that are under-resourced and can be influenced by, and / or directed by, scientists from other nations that can have more resources. As part of the co-production philosophy, we wanted to ensure that the host-nation, Seychelles, had complete authority over the data and samples collected. Together with the Government of Seychelles, we co-drafted an array of agreements that ensured that both the samples and the data was fully owned by Seychelles.

Open dialogues with our main partner, the Government of Seychelles during every stage of the project ensured that changes and amendments could be easily made with their input. For example, field locations where easily amended as a result of bad weather, ensuring no time was wasted while at sea. Furthermore, a clear expectation of sample collection and updates during the expedition meant that Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) inspections could be made on arrival back into port, expediting the export permits, and thereby helping to facilitate the Government to fulfil their regulatory requirements.

It is not straight-forward to build trust. It can take time, skill, and resources, particularly finance and personnel. Nekton ensured that early engagement with the Government of Seychelles and Seychellois stakeholders began a year prior to the actual start of the Seychelles-Nekton field expedition. This allowed ample time to start building connections and relationships with the stakeholders and partners based in Seychelles. The Government of Seychelles gathered other locally based partners and stakeholders to build and frame a joint agenda of needs that would inform the research during the Seychelles-Nekton Expedition which took place in 2019. Co-production of the expedition included organising workshops to identify research locations, defining the pertinent research questions along with determining the stakeholders’ interest in leading specific projects.

With poaching being a huge threat to saiga, especially given the demand for saiga horn in the illegal wildlife trade, outreach plays a very important role. ACBK holds every year in May the “Saiga Day” together with the Saiga Conservation Alliance, in which members of the steppe clubs participate in games, crafts, competitions and other educational and entertainment programs. 

In this case, the saiga is used to catalyze this incredible protection initiative which also aims to re-establish self-sustaining populations of other original large steppe grazing herbivores - Przewalski’s horse, kulan and goitered gazelle as well as understand the role of the ‘steppe’ wolf in maintaining healthy populations of saiga antelopes and to ensure that all these areas, their rich wildlife and local communities can be sustained economically in the long term.

The purpose is to have a good transboundary understanding of the national nature conservation systems and how the people and organisations involved work together on a trilateral level. This deep understanding supports the improvement of the implementation of coordinated management and the linking of national to trilateral (and vice-versa) policies, plans, and activities.

In the Trilateral Governmental Cooperation, each country has its own political culture and priorities. This has an influence on the governmental and civil society structures and thus on decision-making processes, which in turn influences nature conservation and management.

The national nature conservation structures clarify which are the different public organisations and the different geopolitical levels that are responsible for planning, policy-making, and implementing nature conservation activities on the ground. Also required was a definition of nature conservation site managers, their roles, and competences per country. These elements are key to consider while developing a transnational integrated management plan (SIMP).

All the groups with competences in nature conservation are represented in the trilateral governance structure. Some at the decision-making body the Wadden Sea Board, and others in the different working groups.