Vaka Gaualofa Assists Coral Survey Team

Vaka Gaualofa Assists Coral Survey Team

Vaka Gaualofa has helped ensure smooth sailing of the coral survey undertaken in Fagaloa Bay, Samoa

Since May last year, the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) has worked with the Ministry of Fisheries of the Government of Samoa to carry out a year long coral reef monitoring project at Fagaloa Bay.

The project is to assess the impact of the fresh water discharge into the Bay and is funded by the Asian Development Bank in response to complaints from residents in the area who allege that coral health and marine resources have been declining due to a power plant in the area.

“We did an extensive survey to assess the live coral cover and the fish population in Fagaloa Bay in July 2009 and since then, we have been doing more targeted surveys every three months to count the baby corals,“ said Caroline Vieux, SPREP’s Coral Reef Management Officer.

“There’s clearly a problem of coral dying in Fagaloa Bay due to sedimentation in which we experience when we carry out the monitoring but the exact causes for it are still under examination as both natural factors such as cyclones and high water temperature as well as the human factors such as the freshwater discharge from the power plant have to be considered”.

The most recent surveying carried out in March worked in partnership with the Samoa Voyaging Society and Vaka Gaualofa.

Past surveys have included a car towing a dinghy, due to the geographical situation of Fagaloa Bay; this would normally take two full days of work. Vaka Gaualofa has helped the survey team overcome complicated logistics enabling the survey to take place over a period of one day.

“The logistics of reaching Fagaloa Bay to carry out the survey are quite difficult, however with Vaka Gaualofa we have been able to work much more effectively and in a more eco-friendly way as we sailed to Fagaloa,” said Vieux.

“This has also been a positive way to support the Samoa Voyaging Society and an opportunity for the residents of the Fagaloa Bay area to see Vaka Gaualofa.”

A crew of seven helped sail the team to the survey area for which three SPREP staff carried out the coral reef monitoring.

Recommendations are currently being prepared in a report based upon the findings of the different surveys which began in May last year

ENDS