1. Name of the team :Regional Marine Conservation Organization
2. Date of establishment : September 1998
3, Nature of the Organization : voluntary Org.
4. Head quarter : Bosaso/Puntland Somalia
5. Contact Address : Coordination Office is in Bosaso Somalia.
Tel: 252 523 6363/3626
Fax: 252 523 4801
E-mail: marineteam6@hotmail.com
E-mail regmarineconservation@yahoo.com
6. Contact person : Executive Director
Mohamed Ali Mohamed

Background:

This organization was established when some environmental activist members realized its necessity. It is one of 14 organizations belonging to RMSN that RMCO shares with vision, mission, strategic planning, policy and values. This profile composed identity of the org. and role/responsibility of org. organs.

VISION

We strive for whole ness in the management of our natural land and marine resouces, bringing understanding and healing to regain a stable, productive ecosystem. Only in this way can human livelihoods improve and wild life thrive , generating the foundations of happy ,healthy , peaceful and just society

Objectives:

• The ultimate goal of this project is to improve environmental conservation of marine resource in Gulf Of Aden In Punt Land through conservation, and plantation of mangrove forest along coastal areas and the provision of community training and also production of manuals.
• By the end of the project mangrove vegetation coverage in Gulf Of Aden coastal selected areas will increase by 17%.
• To improve marine Bio diversity in the Gulf Of Aden In Punt Land through Mangrove Plantation by the end of December 2005.
• By the end of 2005 the communities of Dhegan, Alula, Habo, Laskoreh & Hafun, will get awareness raising in marine resource conservation.

Situation Analysis:

RMCO operates at the Somali coast, generally the geographical of the organization is relatively calm and no problems encountered during past interventions, the only existing problems, being the recent Tsunami disaster that hit at the some parts of Somalia, especially the Indian Ocean coast Punt land no political crisis took place in the area.

Organizational Level:

• To advocate/lobby for Somali marine resources conservation.
• To improve total awareness of regional marine resources protection to be safe guarded by the local community, authority and international community as well.
• To mobilize Somali fisheries communities to play greater role in marine resources conservation.
• To keep Somali seawater and seashore free from toxic, radioactive, pollution, depletion, and all environmental hazards through capacity building to the Artisanal fishery communities
• To give more care for marine endangered species to ensure its existence.

Natural destruction

Both floods from the heavy rains at the mountainous and excessive years of droughts lead to supper- dilution and hypersalination of mangrove swamps causing disturbance to regular growth of the mangrove trees and the survival of newly growing seedlings.

Executive summary

This project aims to conserve mangrove forests of gulf of Aden in Put land for marine diversity purpose. This is due to depletion of coastal forests in the great areas and the economical importance of put land marine and coastal zones having a wider diversity of the habitat that includes and beaches, coral reefs, isolated mangrove forests, important fishing grounds estuaries, sea grass and logons. This is wide diversity of habitat is endangered and is nearly to disappear , if not conserved. The currently resource depletion effected is the disappearance of the mangrove swamps , which is characterized at the coastal zones of Habo, Alula , Qandala ,Dhagan.

RMCO, is committed to endeavor for rehabilitation of those depleted Mangrove forests through protection , public awareness raising in coastal fisheries/ nomadic communities . Mangrove plantation , where since 2000 the organization has undertaken different experiments on this issue and come up with tangible results those endangered to write this proposal and other similar ones to the environmental potential donors by the end of this project community will safe guard mangrove forests in the target AREAS .

This project is intended to change coastal communities its attitude towards importance of the mangrove forests in marine biodiversity, wildlife and domestic animals as well. Major stake holders are RMCO, Novib & fishery communities and pastoral communities in the coastal areas.

At this stage Dhagan ,Laskoreh ,and habo will be demonstration sites of the project , but public awareness raising will cover all gulf of Aden in Somalia.

Duratioin of the project shall be 12 months which requires total fund of USD 15,000 , Novib shall fund the project where RMCO will implement all planned activities , the community will participate in mangrove plantation after training them and attending training workshops for awareness raising and safe guard the protected area and natural nurseries of mangrove forests when all these efforts are joined together the project will achieve its desired goals.

Human effect

The increased population density at the coast has caused extreme depletion to the mangrove plantation the limited isolated mangrove forest is both used for fire wood , building houses , repairing the fishing boats , fishing processing activities and for animal forage . In spite these local uses still mangrove is recognized as useless plant that grow on marshy places. It always endangers the life animal heads that free graze.

According to the data collected by RMCO , one out of the ten mangrove lies at the coasts disappear on yearly basis . It has been observed that the deforestation activities are more at the areas near the urban centers where fluxes of IDP use mangrove for many purposes.

Statement of the problem and justification

Social economic system in term of resource disintegrate due to decades of civil war, however, given the relative peace and stability in Puntland, the community opted to engage in fishing activities and other related livelihoods along coastal areas /bring about new settlement with ,pastoralists moving to the coastal plains causing pleasure on grassing lands.

In spite of the country’s socio-economical disintegration that result from the decades of civil war, yet the relative peace And stability at punt land state of Somalia , locating at eastern most of Somalia , impact gradually improving socio- economic environment that encouraged the development programming initiatives

Although punt land natural resources share the plight of the extreme depletion with the country but the existence of rich marine and coastal resources of punt land have attracted both internationals poachers and notational cruel harvesters . these resources have remained extremely vulnerable for almost year of anarchy and civil war .

Such vulnerability of marine and coastal habitats was due to the population increased at coast , which was partly for urbanization and partly for economic purposes. The coastal lands of put land extend up to 1300kms of 500kms along the gul;f of Aden/ red sea. The major areas that seriously suffer from the extreme human acts are those at gulf of Aden, which are subjected to both effect of international marine transport through the sense and effect of increase of population .

It has being estimated that population of put land coast along the gulf of Aden and has increased 90%. The total economical potentiality that the coast has attracted to many internally displaced population and pastoral nomads that graze along the coast plains that provides good pasture at the cold seasons of the year .

RMCO of resource management Somali net work, has been involved in studies and data collection of the existing environment trends and has regularly provided environmental awareness to the coastal communities for the last six years of existence the RMCO have specifically involved in studies associated with mangrove swamps improvement.

Mangrove swamps

The selective use of specific species ,bring about the threat of depletion of the particular species , hence lively channel of being entirety Also damages to coral reefs, by consternates .in the constructor’s of houses , while fishing practices by internal trawlers, extensively impact negatively on the carol reefs.

• Due to the increase of population at international and local levels encourages competition over resource available (at the coastal water/land ).
• The other trends impacting on the environment includes coastal flooding causing removal of top fertile soil, expansion of “wadi” s,

( streams) formation of gullies:

Those brings about eroded background as the effects.
RMCO is involved through-out the coastal zones of Somalia that extends 3,333 KM .However ,the 6years RMCO have engaged in dissemination of information awareness date collection, and minor activities /interventions in the extent of mangrove trees plantation along the coastal areas of Puntland this limited scope of activities was due to resume constraint, gives the large areas to be covered and limited ,financial regmee /budget of the RMCO

Isolated mangrove swamps are found along the coastal swamps of putland, where the “wadis’ dry streams from the goles ranges meet with the sea. Specific spots are currently seen at Allua , Habo , Dhagan , Lasqoray , Kandalla , al though there used be forest of mangrove swamps at the past , but elders have told that these isolated mangrove are the remnants of the existed forest . It’s currently realized that the current spots of the mangrove are currently disappearing and is among the endangered natural resources of putland the current threats to the mangrove isolated are due to the following:

The main causes of the mangrove depletion in the target areas;

• Remove and cutting for fire wood and construction observed at all zones of the mangrove with main emphasis in the vicinity of the growing fishery settlements , Allua , Habo , kandala , Dhagan.
• Camel herds grazing dry season observed in Allua , Habo , Dhagan
• Changing due the erosion and droughts observed in dhagan and Kandalla
• Blockage of creek connecting the mangrove swamps to the seawater , by sand waves caused storms have observed at Kandalla and dhagan .
• Depletion of mangrove swamps causes the reduction in coastal productivity in fishing , crustacean, turtle , birds and other biodiversity related in the seashore.

Justification:

RMCO recognizes these isolated mangrove swamps as having a major role in the ecosystem. This is due to the fact that it acts as nesting ground that attracts marine living organisms and growing juveniles of estuaries such as fish, turtle. Crab shrimps, birds and other marine mammals, As a result of the that org. have reached the excessive man made mangrove destruction by carrying specific piloting initiatives that include:

• Raising the awareness of the public about the important of mangrove swamps to their future life.
• Piloting of regeneration initiative with regards to this initiative the org. have made transplanted mangrove swamps at Dhegan swamp Bosaso (Ballade swaps) Both mangrove cultivation programmers of the org. have shown successful achievements:
• 
  Introduction of the local management plans for coastal mangrove plans.

This management plan is outlined as follow

Managements plan for coastal mangrove:

Along Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean of Punt land States of Somalia, ecological change, uncontrolled exploitation, uncoordinated and insufficient institutional measures, inadequate training, polices and an unclear legal situation have all contribution to the present situation in which survival of the mangrove ecosystem is in danger.

In many cases, the destruction of large areas of mangroves forest are caused by internal displacement people who are usually come from inland and settled coastal zones where mangrove grows and they exploit the resources without regards for this survival or reproduction and communities most effect are not compensated for the loss of their resources the demand of domestic firewood and other activities, which causes the depletion of mangroves in zones near the large villages and towns where in coastal zones firewood are already exhausted and people turn to mangrove uses a second choices.

Importance of the mangrove:

Mangrove consists of number of trees or tree like shrubs that are tolerant to both saltwater and brackish water conditions. In the sub-tidal areas of mangrove that are presently covered by watered, a high diversity of sea life is crowded together on the mangrove roots. Predominantly marine sub-tidal areas of mangrove also provide suitable nursery grounds for juvenile stage of many important species of offshore fish. Rich populations of near shore fish, shrimps, craps, lobsters and selfish are common in the saltwater shallows of mangrove forest. The canopy also provides good habits for many nesting birds and bats.