Ecotourism in the Forests of Lakekamu Basin, Papua New Guinea

by Conservation International

Partners:

Conservation International (CI) Foundation of the Peoples of the South Pacific (FSP) Wau Ecology Institute (WEI)

1997 Update

Our activities this year have been greatly affected by the national election campaigns and the dry spells caused by the El Niño.

Research/Science Tourism

The biggest scientific initiative to occur in the Basin since the project inception, was the Rapid Assessment Program (RAP). About 18 scientists were involved in this survey. This was followed by a RAP training session conducted for twenty University of Papua New Guinea students who also collected data for the RAP survey. When the baseline data is compiled between November and December 1997 it will form the basis of future research and monitoring and will result in more researchers coming to the Basin as well and thereby providing a clientele for the field station.

Although construction of the tropical field station came to a halt when our chainsaw man left, and the chainsaw began having mechanical problems, we managed to hire another chainsaw operator. Enough timber has now been cut to get the walls up and the flooring completed. The carpenter who is on a break after completing the field station office renovation is due back in the field at the end of September, 1997. We are highly optimistic that the building will be completed before the end of this year. Kurt Merg, our resident scientist, has also constructed a green house.

Apart from the RAP, we had other two scientists working at the field station including Mr. Marc Damen, from the Netherlands who did work on Crowned Pigeons and, Todd Capson an ethnobotanist from the University of Utah. Todd has worked closely with the University of PNG, PNG Department of Environment and Conservation, the Medical Faculty and other research non-government organizations. The people in the Basin are very interested in his work and he will continue it in 1998.

Since October 1996, the research facility has recorded a gross income of K 1370 K ($1028 US) from researchers, of which K387.30 ($302 US) was paid to the landowners.

Adventure Tourism

The idea of guesthouses and lodges has generated a good deal of attention within the Basin communities. The Kakoro lodge was officially opened in May 1997, and another one built by the Kamea people at Tekadu is nearly finished. The Kovio people are now considering another lodge at Okavai. The Kakoro lodge registered an income of about K500 ($390 US) since its opening this spring.

Due to staff shortages, no progress has been made developing the Bulldog trail circuit. A mock tour was taken in July by FSP's Programs Director, Celine Beaulieu and a french student, Mr. Fabrice Desprats, who was contracted to do a preliminary assessment of the adventure tour products available in the Basin. The information gathered has been sent to the Lonely Planet Tour Guide to PNG to be published in their next edition. Mr. Desprats will market the area and its guesthouses in France as part of his contract while Marc Damen will do the same for the Research Facility.

Butterfly Farming

Apart from the initial work last year which saw the harvesting of fourteen birdwing butterflies, worth K50 each ($39 US each), nothing much could be done this year due to the current dry spell. (Butterflies and insects favor wet conditions to breed). However the Insect Ranch of Wau Ecology Institute conducted a two week informal workshop in March 1997. Practical demonstration and hands-on training will resume when the wet season returns.

Meanwhile, Mike Hudson and Vickson of the Insect Ranch are off to France for an insect exhibition, which will likely increase the market demand for this natural resource and could help conserve the pristine lowland rainforest of the Basin.

Training and Capacity Building

Cosmos Makamet, the community outreach officer, attended a Ethnobotanical Training of Trainers workshop in Madang while FSP Project Coordinator, Thomas Paka went to a workshop in Rabaul which discussed steps involved in establishing Wildlife Management Areas. Both these workshops were very helpful in that Mr. Makamet is now able to train the locals on techniques of collecting and preserving plant samples while Mr. Paka has a fair idea of the processes involved in declaring a WMA.

On the other hand, the eco-tourism workshop scheduled for April did not materialize and it is now rescheduled for the end of October. One literacy workshop was conducted at Kakoro and another is being planned later this year. A similar workshop will be conducted in October for the Tekadu area. The casual meetings with community members conducted by local project staff members Cosmas and Sengo are a continuous event to keep the conservation spirit alive.

Political Support and Threats

The Deputy Governor for the Gulf Province, Paul Apio, is very supportive of the conservation initiative in the Basin. He says he will do anything he can to support conservation and we are in close dialogue with his office and the bureaucrats of the province. While this is good, the proposed national highway from Port Moresby to Lae via Malalaua in the Gulf Province is a major threat that could trigger logging companies to move in. Work on the road has begun on both ends.

Hunting and gardening practices continue, while mining threats have intensified. A company called Wau Alluvial Pty. Ltd. has stepped up its prospecting activities in the Basin. It has advocates in the Basin, both in Tekadu and Kakoro. In addition, the current Minister responsible for Mining activities in the country issued a press release in which he promotes small-scale mining activities to boost the economy as well as creating employment for the people of PNG. Our efforts could take second priority.

Monitoring

The RAP survey, which will be published by year's end, will form the basis of our monitoring and future research activities. Also work being undertaken by Kurt Merg, our resident scientist is ongoing as is the research done by Marc Damen on Crowned Pigeons. His interviews, as well as patrols made by the project staff show that there is increased hunting and fishing among the Kovio people despite awareness being carried out. There has not been much change in these activities among the other groups within the Basin.

On another note, it was deduced from two instances that the community sees this project as an insufficient source of additional income. Some young men who assisted us in the setting up the research facility began panning for gold when they were laid off. In the second case, people who played a key role in setting up the Kakoro lodge were also seen panning for gold to earn some money to furnish the lodge as well to buy rations for the opening ceremony. Gold panning in the area is continuing and one of the creeks in the Basin and the surroundings is completely destroyed.

Successes and Challenges

"OK...So What?"

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