1. Progress of the Dugong & Seagrass Conservation Project in Timor-Leste 3rd Executive Project Steering Committee meeting November, Trang, Thailand

2. Project Partners in Timor-Leste
how protection has been/ is/ is to be insured

3. Baseline in 2015 Progress by 2017 Targets for 2018
Past, present and future of dugong and seagrass conservation in Timor-Leste
Dugongs: limited information generated in 1999
Seagrass: scattered/ no data – latest data since 2006
Communities: community-based monitoring/ management structures exists but not integrating dugongs
Incentives: 1 incentive model based on food security for community-based conservation, no public subsidies
Policies: Dugong MoU not signed, no integrated policy for dugong and seagrass
Baseline in
2015
Dugongs: maps/ data on distribution, threats, occurrence for 4 sites
Seagrass: maps/ data on composition, distribution, use, or abundancy for 12 sites
Policies: 2 draft sectoral policies on integrating dugongs and seagrasses into development planning and tourism
Communities: 3 communities in 4 sites, participate in dugong hotspots management/ monitoring;
Incentives: 3 incentives models based on food security, fees, and home stays communities in 8 sites, including local women involvement
Progress by
2017
Dugongs: 1 dedicated MPA for dugong and seagrass; baseline database submitted to govt
Seagrass: baseline database and national maps submitted to govt and available for stakeholders
Policies: draft dugong watching guidelines incorporated into tourism policy, recommendations for 2 sectoral policies on integrating dugongs and seagrasses into development planning
Communities: 16 communities participate in monitoring/ management of dugong/ seagrass hotspots
Incentives: 3 incentives models are expanded into an additional 4 communities, and incorporated into the draft tourism plan
Targets for
2018

4. Results from dugong research in Timor-Leste
Research Questions
What is the dugong population size?
Where are their main habitats?
2015 dugong population unknown except for one dugong frequenting Dili the capital
Modified version of the Short Dugong Questionnaire implemented in 11 Municipalities
Full analysis not completed and further surveys need to be carried out
Initiating drone use on the isolated coastal areas
Results showed dugong sightings on both north and south coasts, but regular sightings in only 4 communities (3 Municipalities)
how protection has been/ is/ is to be insured
©Jason Isley

5. Results from dugong research in Timor-Leste
Research Questions
What is the dugong population size?
Where are their main habitats?
2017 dugong information
Dugong are considered to hold the spirit of ancestors, so are not hunted, every community has a different local name
Four communities on the mainland report regular sightings of dugong. One community had never seen a dugong and didn’t know what it was when shown an image.
One community with regular visits from a group of 2 to 5 dugongs in their MPA
Same community has identified a new area for dugong which the community wish to develop into a dugong and seagrass MPA
Concerns over the Dili dugong “Doug” due to a major development on shore. Poor communications and enforcement between government agencies has seen the developer encroach on the MPA and seagrass
Timor-Leste dugong displaying behavior not recorded elsewhere according to Proff Helene Marsh (video)
2018 dugong work
Complete the demarcation and formalization of the dugong MPA (2000 ha)
Continue survey actions, analyze data, and complete mapping
how protection has been/ is/ is to be insured

6. Results from seagrass research in Timor-Leste
Research Questions
What species exist in Timor-Leste?
What is the extent of the seagrass beds (ha)?
Where is the seagrass located including depth?
2017 Seagrass Watch methodology was implemented

7. Results from seagrass research in Timor-Leste
Research Questions
What species exist in Timor-Leste?
What is the extent of the seagrass beds (ha)?
Where is the seagrass located including depth?
2015 no seagrass research had been undertaken
2017
Implemented Seagrass Watch methodology
Built into community MPA monitoring plan
Paid data collectors under the incentive project (modified version)
Trained government staff
Used social media images to identify species (Len McKenzie)
Full analysis not completed and further surveys need to be carried out
Limited mapping of seagrass has occurred as it requires trained divers to access the deeper areas. Seagrass beds are small and fragmented in between reef, mangrove, and mud/rocky areas. Communities can only monitor the shallow zones
Coastal map is being developed combining several projects data sets – first for Timor-Leste
Communities happy to monitoring seagrass as part of the MPA monitoring

8. Project policy response to dugong & seagrass conservation needs in Timor-Leste
2015 no specific dugong or seagrass policy
2017 gap analysis completed
No policies exist nationally for dugong and it was difficult to find anything in region or globally which could be used as an example
Whale watching Guidelines being developed in Timor-Leste will include dugong
There is a need to create dugong specific guidelines for tourism
Seagrass and dugong guidelines need to be developed for coastal development
Education and awareness training for government staff in the Planning, Protection, and Tourism ministries is vital to gain broad understanding of why guidelines are needed
Threats
Damage to seagrass through boat mooring and netting
Potential for increased damage to seagrass as coastal development increases
Little to no issue from land based sediment or pollution
Dugong are protected culturally
Strandings of cetaceans or dugong is rare in Timor-Leste

9. Community-based stewardship of dugongs and their seagrass habitats
no dedicated dugong community based action,
3 communities active in protecting seagrass in their MPA’s
1 incentive program based on food security in place to support community based environment protection
2017 -
12 communities active in protecting seagrass through MPA creation,
1 community identified an area to be developed into a dugong specific MPA
3 incentives being used for community based environment protection
2 developed by the communities themselves
1 introduced through the project

10. Timor-Leste lessons learned
It was bigger than anyone thought
Needed an in-country dedicated Project Manager – low capacity/not a priority
With no existing work in this area, everything needed to be developed from scratch which required a higher level of funding
It was not a priority for the new country so has been difficult to get govt ownership
The questions raised about the dugong have left the partners in a situation of “what now”
Fragmentation of the coastal ecosystems has restricted the ability of the project to map seagrass nationally
Implementing the questionnaire needed 100 well trained people.
The results are not what the project was expecting
Project incentive model is good, but is reliant on the partner to implement so communities have not adopted it
Communities have developed their own incentives and through peer to peer learning they are being adopted nationally
Community at the eastern tip of the island do not know what a dugong is
Not sustainable in the short term
No govt funding available – it will be donor dependent
Difficult for govt to monitor or enforce policy (who owns it?)
Monitoring built into existing actions such as community MPA monitoring is sustainable
Incentives owned and managed by the communities are sustainable, but the project incentive model is partner dependent

11. Next steps Awareness campaign nationally
Project partners engaged a photographer to secure images and footage of seagrass, project activities and dugong
Producing communications materials
Analyzing the data collected and mapping the results