Conservation Through Research The Park and WCS recognize that good management of natural resources, whether they be within or outside the protected area, relies among other things, upon good science. As such, we have initiated several research programs. In the early years of the Park's existence, the emphasis has been by necessity on direct conservation actions and outreach, however we expect to greatly increase research projects in the coming years. Current initiatives include the following: |
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Turtle research – teams have spent the last 5 years of turtle season on the beach in what is now the National Park, counting tracks, identification marking nesting females, studying the nest environment, taking genetic samples and profiling health parameters, and more recently, fitting certain individuals with satellite transmitters in order to plot their movements at sea after nesting. This is required if we are to begin addressing conservation issues related to accidental capture by fisheries. |
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Cetacean research – in 2005, the WCS Cetacean Conservation and Research Program, in collaboration with the Park expanded its humpback whale research program to include Mayumba. The project aims to describe the structure and size of the migrating whale population to assist in international efforts to protect stocks. New initiatives will be aimed at assessing the conservation status of other cetaceans including the rare and endangered humpback dolphin. |
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Fisheries research – fishing is central to life in Mayumba, and the wise management of these resources is essential to the long term well-being of the natural ecosystem and the local population. Abuses by industrial trawlers are now menacing stocks. We are now committed to a program of fish stock and capture assessment, ahead of establishing management measures to ensure the sustainability of stocks. An important aspect of this work is socio-economic evaluation and monitoring, by which the importance of natural resource-use can be judged and the effects of the park on local livelihoods assessed and evaluated.
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An offshoot of the fisheries work is beginning to address the sustainability of the Mayumba oyster harvest. Oysters are a cherished resource, but their harvest is uncontrolled and appears to follow a ‘boom and bust' cycle. The project aims to evaluate the resource and the current effects of the harvest, ahead of recommending management measures and potential culturing methods. We will also examine the potential for expanding the market for oysters to include high-class restaurants in Libreville, thus reducing the overall demand but increasing the profit margin for local oyster divers. |
