ADB team visits fishing villages in Timor Leste for MPA establishment
25 Jun 2013 | by coraltriangleinitiative.net
An ADB team visited Timor-Leste on 22-31 May 2013 to conduct a rapid assessment of two prospective MPA sites, Batugade and Atauro. The assessment team found the sites to be good candidates for protection. There is strong political will both nationally and locally and a strong community spirit. The areas being considered have good potential to support the diverse coastal and marine ecosystems, which are presently at risk from population pressure and climate change.
Timor-Leste’s coastal marine ecosystems, like those of other countries in the Coral Triangle, suffer from overfishing. Climate change is likely to increase the pressure on these ecosystems. In its response, the government has decided to establish marine protected areas (MPAs) and a climate change information center, and included these in its National Plan of Action under the Coral Triangle Initiative.
