Officers do something new

The National Weekender
ENVIRONMENT
CCDA’s Stephanie Rere aacnd Jacob Ekinye taking part in coral planting on Sunday at Lion Island, on Sunday,

By JINA AMBA
OFFICERS from the Climate Change and Development Authority (CCDA) took part in coral planting last Sunday, Aug 21, 2022.
It was an initiative of Kokoda Track Development and Livelihoods Association, Conservation Environment and Protection Authority (Cepa) with Lakwaharu Coral, a local group from Tubusereia village in Central.
CCDA’s Adaption and Projects Division General Manager Jacob Ekinye who led the team to Lion Island for coral planting, said this was a new experience for himself and his team.
Ekinye said corals provided an ecosystem for life underwater. They protect coastlines from the damaging effects of wave action and tropical storms. Corals are a source of nitrogen and other essential nutrients for marine food chains and they also assist in carbon and nitrogen fixing etc.
Ekinye said CCDA would like to participate in such activities in future and also in other provinces as well.
Hollen Mado from Kokoda Track Development and Livelihoods Association said the coral planting event was a initiative of the Kokoda Wild Adventures under the name Kokoda Track Development and

CCDA staff Josephine So-onguku doing her bit.

Livelihoods Association.
“The coral planting initiative is supported by the Conservation and Environment Protection Authority through their Marine Branch,” Mado said.
“We are currently looking for reliable local landowner groups that can work with us to effectively drive the coral planting and restoration of the entire Bootless Bay area, and potentially in other parts of Central Province. The approach here is to drive the initiative through tourism, which we find sustainable in the long run.”
“We are also happy to partner with organizations in both public and private sectors to drive this initiative further. It is everyone’s business and so we have the social obligation to contribute to restoring the marine ecosystems through this initiative,” Mado said.

CCDA officer Joy Samo taking part in coral planting last Sunday on Lion Island.

Koivi Egu from Lakwaharu Coral said they have been planting coral in the sea near their village and they already have a coral farm. He said the corals have attracted more fish. “I have instructed villagers not to fish there and they don’t catch fish at that location,” he said.
This coral gardening activity in Bootless Bay area is being undertaken by his family and the community members from Tubusereia village.
“My son is in Fiji for a course on coral planting. He went for the second Phase of our coral planting programme and I do help him with his work.

CCDA officers taking part in coral planting on Lion Island.

“We have a memorandum of understanding signed with Cepa so we are working with them. When they need us for support or teach you people on coral planting. We are not educated people like you people. We are ordinary village people but Keema has taken one of our village boys to Fiji to and taught him how to plant and look after Coral so when he came back he involved us in this. As I am good with the sea I got involved.
“We looked around in Tubusereia bay and found some degraded area and we planted some coral and already have a farm.”
“We involve boys who do nothing in the village to do this. We tell them not to fish all the time and let the reefs to grow. Keema gave us the idea to do this. We have a Coral farm behind Loloata Island.
“For the corals that we are planting today, we will look for a location and put it because it’s a public water. We have already talked to the village people and tell them not to fish there.”
Egu said this reef restoration activity is sponsored by Kyeema Foundation from Brisbane, Australia. Egu and his son work together with Kyeema Foundation to address the ever-increasing climate change issues affecting coral reefs in PNG.
Kyeema Foundation sponsors this activity in PNG with support from the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Programme (ANCP).
Egu said he they have been engaging in this activity for four (years) and are able and willing to assist any organsations that are interested to plant corals to save the ocean and the environment.
He said they were also engaged in poultry and mangrove planting ventures as well.
The coral planting event was a success as over 200 corals were planted that day.

  • Jina Amba is the Media Officer for Climate Change and Development Authority