On Saturday, 19 October, 2019, TRCT conducted clam distribution operation with 12 children with the support of Tamil Youth Organization, TYO, and Yap Community Action Program, YapCAP, releasing 92 giant clams which were raised in farming beds for three years.
In advance to the operation, TRCT distributed 63 clams on October 7, and 92 clams on 8. In total 174 clams were released into the Marine Protected Area in the lagoon of Tamil municipality. Now we have 225 clams in farming cases.
In old days, lagoon of Yap was fully covered by giant clams, according to old persons. TRCT is now trying to recover the number of clams. From baby status with the size of thumbnail, clams grow to bigger than 220 millimeter width and it is now maturing stage. With less risk to be bitten by predicators like puffin fish, TRCT decided to release those to wide spread protected area for natural hatching process.
Jeff was drawing the map of the area with machete!
Big tree “QAW.”
Bamboos.
Dialogue after the walk.
Map was completed.
On October 5, 2019, Jeff Marbey, vice chair person of TRCT, Mr. KAWAGUCHI Daisuke, human resource specialist and OHMAE Junichi, board member of ECOPLUS, conducted trial village walk and mapping activity in Teb village of Tamil.
The activity was intended to re-identify resources and assets of the place for sustainable future. Through the walk, Jeff, originally from the village, identify different plants, historical sites, traditional stories and life in old days. During the walk a huge lizard with more than 1 meter long appeared just in front of us.
Along the coast side, Jeff told the story about sea level rise. Taro patches next to the coastal road was having salty water coming through high tide. Because of the salty water, those places became to be abandoned. When we stepped into mountain side through the old stone path, several remains of stone platform, or “daef,” where people were setting their houses were identified. A huge tall tree called “QAW” was also identified. Jeff told that fruit-bats liked the fruit of the tree.
For just a couple of hundred meters walk, we joyfully enjoyed exploration for more than one hour. For Mr. KAWAGUCHI, it was the second visit to this island, and he told that it was quite exciting to walk the place with local people.
After coming back from the walk, other staff at TRCT joined in the dialogue. Specially on the issue of fruit-bats, Jeff and Ken told the place of their nests in the area. They also mentioned about the habitat of the animal and how people of Yap had been hunting those in with ways. We all agreed to have such walk and dialogue would visualize what the area was having in the relation with the nature and human and it would show the potential of the area in this modernized society.
12 beacon light has been installed within our Marine Conservation Area (MCA) on February 22,2019 , Thanks to Ridge to Reef (R2R) for the funding and also special thanks to Marine Resources and Yapcap for helping out to install.
Now in the ocean in Tomil, Zoning and Regulations are introduced for the protection of marine resources.
“No-Take Zone” is along the edge of reef from the eastern side to the west and toward the north, or between Pelak and Wanaday Channels. All extractive activities are prohibited. Entry is only permitted by TRCT.
“Warning Zone” is 50 ft (16 m) distance outside the no-take Marine protected area. Entry allowed nut all extractive activities are prohibited.
All marine areas not included in the above zones is “Traditional use Zone.”
Only traditional and customary uses are allowed. All relevant state or municipal laws and regulation apply.