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© Martin Colognoli - Coral Guardian

A SUCCESSFUL INTEGRATED CONSERVATION PROJECT IN INDONESIA

The project launched by Coral Guardian in 2015 on Hatamin Island, a tiny island in the Coral Triangle,
supports the local community in restoring and protecting reefs damaged by dynamite fishing: "At
the very start, the villagers had little confidence in us, due to previous projects that they were ex-
cluded from. However, with the approval of the local chief, our Franco-Indonesian team launched
the project to restore the reef and secure local livelihoods, ensuring that the villagers were fully
involved in the project and that their voices were heard throughout the process," says Florina Ja-
cob, Coral Guardian's scientific and field manager. This process ultimately led, 4 years later, to the
creation of an MPA managed by members of the local community, with appropriate social and
biological monitoring protocols.

This has increased the number of fishermen around the marine reserve, and a greater abundance
of fish, with a considerable boost to biodiversity. "The success of the project is not an endpoint but
an ongoing process that requires close and honest communication with the local team," conti-
nues Coco Tamlyn, Director of Coral Guardian. This venture is inspiring other conservation projects
around the world, such as DeepCORE launched in Spain in 2020.