Soariake is an IUCN category VI MPA, that aims at protecting natural ecosystems while allowing the sustainable use of natural resources. It is currently co-managed by WCS and local community gathered in Soariake Association.
Local communities are at the same time actors and victims of overfishing. As MPA co-manager, WCS is in charge of scientific research and monitoring to assess the value of the site, communicate, raise awareness and support local communities to identify and implement suitable conservation measures, identifying alternatives to better manage natural resources, and identifying key partners if needed. WCS also provides capacity building in terms of project management, social organization and fishing regulation; thus ensuring the integrity of the MPA and the livelihoods of the communities.
WCS also supports the local community to define different zoning of the MPA, local conventions on resource management, ensure patrolling through Community Control and Surveillance, collect fish catch data, and promote alternatives that are environmental friendly.
Community involvement in the management of the MPA is key to build a local ownership, one pillar to warrant sustainability of on ground activities.
- Building a long term partnership between WCS and the local community to seek for sustainability: a project approach will raise an opportunistic feelings among local community which does not help achieving conservation and development objectives;
- Maintaining support while ensuring the local community would not become dependent on WCS: capacity building, technical support during the implementation of the activities aim ensuring that in the future local community will be able to implement the activities by themselves;
- Once the industry is developed in a village and the farmers increase, organizational support is also crucial to help farmers organize production, maintain quality standards, negotiate with the private sector, managing the community equipment, ensuring socio-economic monitoring among farmers, and supporting households in managing their income so as to make sure that the benefit from the aquaculture brings advantages to the family;
- Fighting illiteracy should be part of the activity to consider while promoting co-management so as to facilitate the implementation of regulation, the negotiation with partners, to better involved in rural entrepreneurship