What’s to be done about a protected area that the community has forgotten about? Rare Pride Program Manager Adam Murray blogs about how Campaign Manager Tublai Ililau in Palau is answering that very question.
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There are nine speices of clams in the world and seven of them are found in the waters of Palau, an island in Micronesia that dots the Pacific Ocean. Knowing this, it makes sense that Tublai Ililau (our Pride Campaign Manager from Palau) chose the Giant clam to be the face of her conservation campaign.
Over the last few months Tublai has gathered the community together, promoting the clam and giving presentations on this species and the dangers of over-harvesting. As she visited more and more community members in the State of Melekeok, she found them remembering an area that they had nearly forgotten.
Almost a decade ago the community in Melekeok set aside some land to form a protected area — an area that encompassed an entire reef flat. Organizers hoped to re-establish the clam populations in the area, but since its formation the protected area has been completely neglected.
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Tublai (center, bottom row) and members of the community with clams for planting
Since the start of Tublai’s campaign the protected area has aroused the community’s interest. Tublai and her organization, The Palau Conservation Society, organized a clam seedlings planting event with the Melekeok community, planting 700 clam seedlings. Over 40 members of the community attended the event, all becoming more familiar with the protected area and ways they can conserve the area as well as better protect this species.
“Our message is very simple,” Tublai told a local newspaper at the event “…protect conservation areas, practice wise land use and planning, respect conservation laws, reduce unsustainable harvesting/fishing/hunting and reduce the buying and selling of Palau’s protected species.”
As this campaign continues we expect the people of Palau to be shouting in their native Palauan “Kim Er Palau: De Keremeli,” or “The clam of Palau, Let’s Protect it”.
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