AND ATOLL DECLARED A BIOSPHERE RESERVE
After 5 relentless years of hard work and preparation, the Nanpei Family, along with the Conservation Society of Pohnpei (CSP) and its partners are proud to announce the establishment of And Atoll Biosphere Reserve. Biosphere Reserves are a tool used for setting aside and protecting special places for animals and plants and where they live. Biosphere Reserves are being promoted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The Bureau of the International Coordinating Council of UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Program has added 23 new reserves sites in 18 countries to its global network and And atoll is one of them.
In 2002, CSP and UNESCO’s Pacific office began working together to establish Pohnpei’s first biosphere reserve on And Atoll. To meet this goal, several activities were carried out, which included stakeholders (landowners, resource managers, and government officials) meetings, public education, and community outreach on biosphere reserves. From these activities the stakeholders agreed to submit the application to UNESCO in 2005. However, in the process, the core team, which included the landowners, the Department of Lands and Natural Resources and CSP, determined that more fieldwork, assessment and discussion was required to gain the information needed to complete the application for submission in 2006. A Rapid Ecological Assessment (REA) was conducted in July 2006, which revealed And atoll as one of the most biologically significance areas on Pohnpei.
Due to its isolation and lack of human occupation for more than 20 years, And atoll is Pohnpei’s number one marine Area of Biodiversity Significance (ABS) and a Priority Action Area (PAA). And atoll retains one of the last relatively intact seabird rookeries in the region and provides crucial nesting grounds for rare sea turtles. And atoll’s main channel has also been validated as one of the few grouper spawning and aggregation sites on Pohnpei. And atoll also embraces the healthiest giant clam population on the main Island of Pohnpei with impressive aggregations of sharks, barracudas and other tourism-attracting marine life. And has great potentials for ecotourism and is already reputable for diving and snorkeling.
Unfortunately, over-fishing, bird/turtle hunting and egg collection have became major threats for And atoll. Therefore, the establishment of a biosphere reserve on And atoll is one of the initial steps for us to save and conserve these resources. Unlike the existing Marine Sanctuary and Wildlife Refuge Act of 1999, UNESCO’s biosphere reserves include three zones. They include Core Zones: commonly known as “No-Take” areas, Buffer Zones: allows certain, but restrictive activities, and Transition Zones: where human settlements are located and most activities such as agriculture, fishing, logging, and even mining are allowed. The core zones of And Atoll Biosphere Reserve are replicable models for Pohnpei’s existing MPAs, where fishing and/or taking of any marine life is not allowed.
We, the citizens of Pohnpei, should be proud for the establishment of And Atoll Biosphere Reserve. Not only that And atoll will serve as a sanctuary for Pohnpei’s special native animals and plants, but it will also conserve the atoll’s living resources for generations to come. Also, Pohnpei is now included in a biosphere world-wide learning network. We can learn from the other nations, states, and/or communities how they are managing and benefiting from their biosphere reserves. And Atoll Biosphere Reserve is unique because its Pohnpei’s first government and private landowner co-managed MPA, and the first sanctuary established on an atoll outside of Pohnpei’s lagoon.
And (or Ant how most call it) is now a protected area for a good reason. Pictures by J.O'Hare
The channel at And (Ant). There is a left on the Pass and a few other secrets here very few have seen mostly because there are waves that work under the same conditions a lot closer to our HQ in Pohnpei, still, a day at And is never a bad day.
The Protected Areas.
This picture does not tell the complete story but Matt is looking at a 100 ft deep reef wall.