Conversations about the Islands: the U.S. Territories and the Freely Associated States.
Join us in this conversation series to learn more about the islands - the people, the work, reminiscences, and what lies ahead. What do you know about islands? Let's have some conversations and learn together.
The Micronesia Conservation Trust is the premier non-profit organization established to protect and conserve biodiversity and sustainable development of natural resources in the Micronesia region. William Kostka discussed MCT's past and current projects, support from OIA, and more.
There's more to islands ...
Hosted by the U.S. Department of the Interior's Office of Insular Affairs (OIA) Deputy Policy Director and Communications Lead Tanya Harris Joshua, this conversation series highlights people and issues of importance to the U.S. territories and the freely associated states.
This audio-recorded conversation is derived from the OIA Conversations series available on YouTube and is provided as a public service to bring more awareness and information about the Office of Insular Affairs and the insular areas with which it works and the programs in the insular areas to which it provides funding. These conversations do not meet requirements for financial reporting nor are they endorsed by the U.S. Department of the Interior or the Office of Insular Affairs.
OIA Conversation Series | #WhatWeDoIslands | www.doi.gov/oia | @InsularAffairs
Conversations about the Islands: the U.S. Territories and the Freely Associated States.
Join us in this conversation series to learn more about the islands - the people, the work, reminiscences, and what lies ahead. What do you know about islands? Let's have some conversations and learn together.
The Micronesia Conservation Trust is the premier non-profit organization established to protect and conserve biodiversity and sustainable development of natural resources in the Micronesia region. William Kostka discussed MCT's past and current projects, support from OIA, and more.
There's more to islands ...
Hosted by the U.S. Department of the Interior's Office of Insular Affairs (OIA) Deputy Policy Director and Communications Lead Tanya Harris Joshua, this conversation series highlights people and issues of importance to the U.S. territories and the freely associated states.
This audio-recorded conversation is derived from the OIA Conversations series available on YouTube and is provided as a public service to bring more awareness and information about the Office of Insular Affairs and the insular areas with which it works and the programs in the insular areas to which it provides funding. These conversations do not meet requirements for financial reporting nor are they endorsed by the U.S. Department of the Interior or the Office of Insular Affairs.
OIA Conversation Series | #WhatWeDoIslands | www.doi.gov/oia | @InsularAffairs
0:00:04.080,0:00:07.759
today we're having a conversation with
0:00:05.920,0:00:09.679
mr william kostika
0:00:07.759,0:00:11.519
executive director of the micronesia
0:00:09.679,0:00:14.880
conservation trust
0:00:11.519,0:00:17.119
uh and uh also
0:00:14.880,0:00:18.960
willie you're the executive director of
0:00:17.119,0:00:20.560
of that organization
0:00:18.960,0:00:23.600
uh can you introduce yourself and tell
0:00:20.560,0:00:26.640
us a little bit about that
0:00:23.600,0:00:29.679
and tania and philippe
0:00:26.640,0:00:30.000
yes so the micronesia conservation trust
0:00:29.679,0:00:33.360
was
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established in 2002 it was supposed to
0:00:33.360,0:00:39.200
be an fsm organization only
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but then we started getting some
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interest from the other jurisdictions
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palau marshalls guam cinema and even the
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donors asking us if we could
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expand our services to those other
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jurisdictions and
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because they were interested in
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sort of the types of regional
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collaboration
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that would get the you know the
0:01:03.440,0:01:08.799
technical and financial support to
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a lot more communities across the region
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so
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we then became more of a regional
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organization expanded our board
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and expanded our services and what we do
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is
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really we are a grant making
0:01:21.840,0:01:27.200
organization we bring in grants
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and then we give them out to the local
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organizations that are doing
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work on the ground conservation work
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fisheries work
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climate adaptation work and we basically
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support them both with
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funds and or grants as well as with
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capacity building
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support that they need so we would
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actually do trainings and stuff
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if not us we would get somebody else to
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do it for
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those organizations now so you
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you yourself started with a non-profit
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organization a different one
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on the ground how did you get started in
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environmental
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and conservation work when i was at the
0:02:07.520,0:02:10.479
college
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the nature conservancy started their
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program here in like
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indonesia and and they wanted me to
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become the deputy director to bill
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raynor who was then the director of
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tnc uh microconesia program
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uh but after doing discussions with him
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we decided that maybe it would be better
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for me to start a large international
0:02:31.920,0:02:36.640
organization
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instead of working um the boat that was
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working for
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an international organization we we
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thought it would be good to start a
0:02:41.440,0:02:47.680
grassroots group and so yes we
0:02:44.720,0:02:49.280
we worked with them and we found that uh
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conservation society of boom bombay
0:02:49.280,0:02:54.239
which i ran
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for about seven years before
0:02:54.239,0:03:00.879
moving to mct
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was that one of the first uh
0:03:00.879,0:03:05.040
non-profit organizations in pontbay
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would you say or in even in the region
0:03:05.040,0:03:10.400
at that time
0:03:06.640,0:03:13.599
um there's a lot of ngos in
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our civil society organizations across
0:03:13.599,0:03:17.760
micronesia but
0:03:14.640,0:03:18.720
when you talk about staffed and fully
0:03:17.760,0:03:22.400
functioning
0:03:18.720,0:03:24.879
ngos i think we were probably
0:03:22.400,0:03:26.720
uh the second i don't know if you
0:03:24.879,0:03:30.400
remember the
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pon pe community action agency
0:03:30.400,0:03:34.560
those were started by the u.s government
0:03:33.200,0:03:37.599
to channel some
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um and and they existed in all the
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jurisdictions but
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i think the only ones surviving now are
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the yap community action program
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and the palau community action program
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uh but the one in ponte
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uh sort of dissolved so yes we
0:03:51.519,0:03:57.760
we would be the uh the first
0:03:54.560,0:03:59.760
uh fully staffed and functioning ngo and
0:03:57.760,0:04:02.400
and at that time what was the pompeii
0:03:59.760,0:04:05.280
conservation society focused on
0:04:02.400,0:04:06.239
we were we started our first focus was
0:04:05.280,0:04:10.000
really on
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uh beacon state created
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the pon bay watershed protection act of
0:04:13.720,0:04:19.680
1987 when i was a junior in high school
0:04:17.120,0:04:21.120
or senior in high school and but nobody
0:04:19.680,0:04:24.000
did anything about it
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uh it was just a paper part and so when
0:04:24.000,0:04:26.479
we
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when we started the conservation society
0:04:26.479,0:04:30.639
of pompeii tnc
0:04:28.000,0:04:31.440
was already doing some work on there but
0:04:30.639,0:04:33.360
they
0:04:31.440,0:04:34.880
they figured that it would be good if
0:04:33.360,0:04:37.199
local organizations
0:04:34.880,0:04:38.720
was leading so what we did was we did
0:04:37.199,0:04:40.800
awareness
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around the island to talk to people
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about the fact that
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um you know anywhere above 400 meters
0:04:47.680,0:04:51.280
of our forest in pune bay was actually
0:04:49.520,0:04:54.479
protected and people shouldn't be
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building roads or doing any large-scale
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farming up there and that's how we got
0:04:58.160,0:05:03.919
started but then we we also started
0:05:01.520,0:05:08.000
working on protected areas
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in the water i remember your
0:05:08.000,0:05:11.919
relief to ridges i think that was one of
0:05:10.320,0:05:14.160
the programs
0:05:11.919,0:05:14.960
brief to ridges was that a new uh
0:05:14.160,0:05:16.320
initiative or
0:05:14.960,0:05:18.639
was that something that was already
0:05:16.320,0:05:22.080
internationally uh
0:05:18.639,0:05:25.919
known oh i think they were
0:05:22.080,0:05:27.680
they were already some organizations and
0:05:25.919,0:05:27.919
countries that were already working on
0:05:27.680,0:05:32.000
it
0:05:27.919,0:05:34.639
but we we also took that as a model
0:05:32.000,0:05:36.320
uh to work on yeah and so it was
0:05:34.639,0:05:39.759
especially important
0:05:36.320,0:05:42.720
in small islands because um it's
0:05:39.759,0:05:43.759
what we do in on the land especially in
0:05:42.720,0:05:47.280
the small islands
0:05:43.759,0:05:49.280
end up in the water right the way
0:05:47.280,0:05:51.039
uh if you clear an area in the forest
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and there's rain that same day
0:05:51.039,0:05:54.240
the silt ends up in the water i mean
0:05:53.120,0:05:56.479
we're small so
0:05:54.240,0:05:57.440
everything just goes and so the
0:05:56.479,0:05:59.280
connection
0:05:57.440,0:06:00.960
i mean even in large countries the
0:05:59.280,0:06:02.800
connection is there but
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in the smaller islands the connection is
0:06:02.800,0:06:07.039
really
0:06:04.000,0:06:10.240
really acute and you can
0:06:07.039,0:06:13.919
see uh the impacts right away
0:06:10.240,0:06:16.639
right exactly exactly um and so now the
0:06:13.919,0:06:18.639
pompe conservation society still exists
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but then you transition to it to a
0:06:18.639,0:06:23.600
different organism to a new
0:06:20.319,0:06:25.600
just to start a new organization yes
0:06:23.600,0:06:27.880
so the conservation study of fundpay is
0:06:25.600,0:06:29.280
still there they they're a separate
0:06:27.880,0:06:31.600
organization
0:06:29.280,0:06:35.840
they have a board and they have a number
0:06:31.600,0:06:35.840
of staff i think they're 14 staff
0:06:37.840,0:06:41.520
but then the micronesia conservation
0:06:39.600,0:06:44.240
trust is a new organ
0:06:41.520,0:06:45.759
and that's where i work now but we
0:06:44.240,0:06:48.960
partner with the
0:06:45.759,0:06:49.360
conservation society of ponte and all
0:06:48.960,0:06:51.120
the
0:06:49.360,0:06:52.960
non-government conservation
0:06:51.120,0:06:56.080
organizations across the region
0:06:52.960,0:06:56.639
as well as the local governments we work
0:06:56.080,0:07:00.560
closely
0:06:56.639,0:07:00.560
with the government so
0:07:01.039,0:07:05.680
none of our priorities are outside of
0:07:02.880,0:07:08.800
the priorities of the government so
0:07:05.680,0:07:10.800
mct's priorities are really in line
0:07:08.800,0:07:13.840
with those priorities of the government
0:07:10.800,0:07:16.720
and actually we also report against the
0:07:13.840,0:07:19.039
unsustainable development goals which
0:07:16.720,0:07:22.800
the governments are doing and that's how
0:07:19.039,0:07:24.479
we make that connection and so you work
0:07:22.800,0:07:26.160
with the governments of the freely
0:07:24.479,0:07:29.280
associated states
0:07:26.160,0:07:30.160
as well as the territories yes guam and
0:07:29.280,0:07:34.560
cinema
0:07:30.160,0:07:38.080
yeah do you work with hawaii as well
0:07:34.560,0:07:39.280
um we're part of a peer learning network
0:07:38.080,0:07:42.639
called the
0:07:39.280,0:07:44.000
pacific uh islands managed and protected
0:07:42.639,0:07:47.599
areas community
0:07:44.000,0:07:51.120
which is a co-coordinated by the mct
0:07:47.599,0:07:54.879
and noaa and somebody is based in hawaii
0:07:51.120,0:07:57.680
in the noaa fisheries agency there
0:07:54.879,0:07:59.199
will co-coordinate spin back with us and
0:07:57.680,0:08:03.440
and in that way
0:07:59.199,0:08:06.639
we work with hawaii american samoa
0:08:03.440,0:08:09.360
and the rest of the 3d associates and
0:08:06.639,0:08:12.560
the territories
0:08:09.360,0:08:13.759
in terms of peer learning a peer
0:08:12.560,0:08:17.599
learning network so
0:08:13.759,0:08:18.560
we've had people come from hawaii to see
0:08:17.599,0:08:20.720
what's going
0:08:18.560,0:08:21.840
you know how the palones are doing
0:08:20.720,0:08:26.000
community
0:08:21.840,0:08:28.800
based marine protected area work
0:08:26.000,0:08:29.440
and we've had people travel to from here
0:08:28.800,0:08:32.479
to
0:08:29.440,0:08:35.039
uh you know to a wife vice versa looking
0:08:32.479,0:08:38.080
at the best practices over there and
0:08:35.039,0:08:38.719
uh and learning from each other you
0:08:38.080,0:08:42.240
mentioned
0:08:38.719,0:08:43.760
um community-based practices and also
0:08:42.240,0:08:45.440
working with the governments can you
0:08:43.760,0:08:47.760
talk a little bit about
0:08:45.440,0:08:50.560
governments and communities and how
0:08:47.760,0:08:53.360
that's different in terms of your work
0:08:50.560,0:08:54.959
or why that's important yeah i don't
0:08:53.360,0:08:58.240
think there's um
0:08:54.959,0:09:01.440
you know in order for um while that
0:08:58.240,0:09:06.080
while while the the laws and the
0:09:01.440,0:09:08.880
constitutions um mostly say that the
0:09:06.080,0:09:10.640
government has jurisdiction over the the
0:09:08.880,0:09:13.440
land and the water
0:09:10.640,0:09:15.200
the daily users of those areas uh and
0:09:13.440,0:09:17.200
the daily owners
0:09:15.200,0:09:18.880
you might say are the community so
0:09:17.200,0:09:21.360
anything that we do
0:09:18.880,0:09:22.560
has to be community led and community
0:09:21.360,0:09:24.720
based
0:09:22.560,0:09:26.560
supported by both the government and the
0:09:24.720,0:09:30.240
non-government organizations
0:09:26.560,0:09:32.160
when we when we find
0:09:30.240,0:09:34.160
in areas where there's no community
0:09:32.160,0:09:36.000
support you're just basically wasting
0:09:34.160,0:09:39.440
your time and your money
0:09:36.000,0:09:42.080
working in a community that doesn't have
0:09:39.440,0:09:43.279
any type of support that's what you need
0:09:42.080,0:09:46.000
to get first
0:09:43.279,0:09:47.839
and both the government and the ngos
0:09:46.000,0:09:51.600
recognize
0:09:47.839,0:09:54.959
you know that we have to do that
0:09:51.600,0:09:56.000
is that uh stronger in any one area or
0:09:54.959,0:09:57.839
is that pretty much
0:09:56.000,0:10:00.000
prevalent throughout the the region the
0:09:57.839,0:10:04.399
micronesia region
0:10:00.000,0:10:07.200
uh well um because we have
0:10:04.399,0:10:10.160
places like guam and cnn where they've
0:10:07.200,0:10:12.399
sort of don't have the
0:10:10.160,0:10:14.320
traditional leadership mechanisms in
0:10:12.399,0:10:16.079
place anymore
0:10:14.320,0:10:19.120
you know they do have community leaders
0:10:16.079,0:10:21.120
so like the mayors and other
0:10:19.120,0:10:22.480
leaders who just are leaders in their
0:10:21.120,0:10:24.000
own communities we work
0:10:22.480,0:10:26.399
through those but those are a bit more
0:10:24.000,0:10:27.440
difficult it's a lot easier in places
0:10:26.399,0:10:30.720
like palau and
0:10:27.440,0:10:31.120
ponpe and and marshalls and chuuk where
0:10:30.720,0:10:33.600
you
0:10:31.120,0:10:34.720
actually have everybody knows who the
0:10:33.600,0:10:37.600
traditional leaders
0:10:34.720,0:10:40.160
are and uh you know you can you can work
0:10:37.600,0:10:44.320
with them to get to the community
0:10:40.160,0:10:47.920
and to the support of the community
0:10:44.320,0:10:51.440
and in fact some of our best
0:10:47.920,0:10:52.560
uh work uh that we support is happening
0:10:51.440,0:10:55.120
in the app
0:10:52.560,0:10:56.640
where the traditional leadership still
0:10:55.120,0:11:00.240
is very strong
0:10:56.640,0:11:02.880
and they they still feel or
0:11:00.240,0:11:04.480
or have ownership over the reefs and and
0:11:02.880,0:11:06.880
the forest
0:11:04.480,0:11:09.200
once they decide that they want to
0:11:06.880,0:11:12.320
protect those then
0:11:09.200,0:11:12.720
you know those seem to be doing the best
0:11:12.320,0:11:15.360
and
0:11:12.720,0:11:17.440
and that's confirmed by our technical
0:11:15.360,0:11:19.920
partners like the uoc
0:11:17.440,0:11:21.440
university of guam marine lab who does a
0:11:19.920,0:11:24.240
lot of the science
0:11:21.440,0:11:26.240
to support the work that we're doing
0:11:24.240,0:11:28.880
across micronesia
0:11:26.240,0:11:30.560
so can you just clarify again what uh
0:11:28.880,0:11:31.519
what so you are a grant making
0:11:30.560,0:11:33.760
organization
0:11:31.519,0:11:35.279
and you receive funding from from
0:11:33.760,0:11:36.800
organizing international
0:11:35.279,0:11:38.399
uh us government all kinds of
0:11:36.800,0:11:41.040
organizations um
0:11:38.399,0:11:42.800
remind me again what the um the work is
0:11:41.040,0:11:45.120
what is your focus specifically
0:11:42.800,0:11:47.440
in terms of what kind of ngos you
0:11:45.120,0:11:50.959
support or communities you support
0:11:47.440,0:11:53.279
so so we're supporting um uh communities
0:11:50.959,0:11:55.279
uh with uh three different things uh one
0:11:53.279,0:11:57.040
is in conservation so we're
0:11:55.279,0:11:59.839
we're supporting the establishment of
0:11:57.040,0:12:03.360
protected areas management of those
0:11:59.839,0:12:06.320
fisheries regulations and all of that
0:12:03.360,0:12:08.880
watershed management we also have a
0:12:06.320,0:12:12.160
climate change
0:12:08.880,0:12:13.760
of arm or component of our work climate
0:12:12.160,0:12:16.399
change adaptation work
0:12:13.760,0:12:17.839
and and so we're helping communities
0:12:16.399,0:12:21.600
build their resilience
0:12:17.839,0:12:22.560
uh for dealing with the impacts of
0:12:21.600,0:12:25.440
climate change
0:12:22.560,0:12:27.360
and those are closely linked because
0:12:25.440,0:12:29.120
protecting your mangrove forest for
0:12:27.360,0:12:31.040
example
0:12:29.120,0:12:33.120
continues to make sure that you have
0:12:31.040,0:12:35.360
resilience
0:12:33.120,0:12:38.240
against the impacts of climate change
0:12:35.360,0:12:41.440
such as typhoons and
0:12:38.240,0:12:44.959
other you know
0:12:41.440,0:12:48.480
you know natural
0:12:44.959,0:12:49.600
disasters that are are complicated with
0:12:48.480,0:12:52.480
climate change or
0:12:49.600,0:12:53.600
are strengthened with climate change i
0:12:52.480,0:12:56.560
don't know if you've seen
0:12:53.600,0:12:57.760
on facebook but uh some of our even our
0:12:56.560,0:13:01.680
causeway was under
0:12:57.760,0:13:06.480
water yesterday uh part of it uh
0:13:01.680,0:13:09.760
yes wow right across from the dump
0:13:06.480,0:13:13.200
it it was covered with uh what's uh
0:13:09.760,0:13:13.519
salt water and several people uh who
0:13:13.200,0:13:16.560
live
0:13:13.519,0:13:19.040
on the shorelines their houses were
0:13:16.560,0:13:20.000
where the salt water went into their
0:13:19.040,0:13:23.279
houses
0:13:20.000,0:13:25.680
including my dad's sister's house
0:13:23.279,0:13:26.959
yeah so can you tell us a little bit
0:13:25.680,0:13:30.639
more about that
0:13:26.959,0:13:33.839
uh what is that high tides is that
0:13:30.639,0:13:36.000
what's going on yeah we get we i mean
0:13:33.839,0:13:38.880
we've always seen these king tights
0:13:36.000,0:13:39.519
uh um over the years i mean they're not
0:13:38.880,0:13:41.600
new
0:13:39.519,0:13:42.800
but what what's happening right now is
0:13:41.600,0:13:46.240
they're they're reaching
0:13:42.800,0:13:47.199
places where they didn't reach uh in the
0:13:46.240,0:13:49.839
past
0:13:47.199,0:13:49.839
and so
0:13:50.720,0:13:58.240
you know we we believe uh the impacts of
0:13:54.560,0:14:02.320
the sea level rise and global warming is
0:13:58.240,0:14:05.279
having these impacts
0:14:02.320,0:14:06.079
so what kind of um can you give us a
0:14:05.279,0:14:08.639
little more
0:14:06.079,0:14:09.519
uh some some more examples there are
0:14:08.639,0:14:13.199
areas where
0:14:09.519,0:14:15.920
we've helped communities replant uh
0:14:13.199,0:14:16.959
shoreline uh like their mangroves or
0:14:15.920,0:14:19.839
other shoreline
0:14:16.959,0:14:20.560
uh uh trees and shrubs and those things
0:14:19.839,0:14:23.760
that
0:14:20.560,0:14:27.519
uh hold the you know their shorelines
0:14:23.760,0:14:28.560
um because as if you go to kosai now you
0:14:27.519,0:14:32.160
will see that
0:14:28.560,0:14:33.760
some of the houses uh in in especially
0:14:32.160,0:14:36.079
those houses in
0:14:33.760,0:14:37.360
uh right on the shore are uh people are
0:14:36.079,0:14:40.320
evacuating
0:14:37.360,0:14:41.120
uh from those houses because some of
0:14:40.320,0:14:42.880
them are
0:14:41.120,0:14:45.040
half of the buildings have fallen into
0:14:42.880,0:14:49.680
the ocean
0:14:45.040,0:14:49.680
and and things like that so wow
0:14:53.600,0:14:57.440
you know funds to support some of those
0:14:56.639,0:14:59.760
but
0:14:57.440,0:15:02.399
for the work that we're doing we're
0:14:59.760,0:15:05.160
we're mostly
0:15:02.399,0:15:07.440
working with communities to do
0:15:05.160,0:15:10.720
ecosystem-based adaptation
0:15:07.440,0:15:14.000
so that's that's looking at green
0:15:10.720,0:15:15.680
solutions so replanting mangrove forest
0:15:14.000,0:15:16.480
and other things on the shorelines to
0:15:15.680,0:15:19.600
keep their
0:15:16.480,0:15:22.480
uh you know uh keep that protection
0:15:19.600,0:15:23.360
but we also help with a few few smaller
0:15:22.480,0:15:26.639
things like
0:15:23.360,0:15:26.639
uh just yesterday
0:15:27.440,0:15:34.480
we had a yesterday or the day before
0:15:30.720,0:15:37.120
we gave kapingan marangi
0:15:34.480,0:15:39.120
some water tanks because right now
0:15:37.120,0:15:41.600
they're experiencing a drought
0:15:39.120,0:15:42.320
in capina marangi there's no water there
0:15:41.600,0:15:46.160
they're
0:15:42.320,0:15:49.279
breadfruits taro and other
0:15:46.160,0:15:51.360
uh local produce are are dying because
0:15:49.279,0:15:54.240
there hasn't been rain there for
0:15:51.360,0:15:56.480
quite some time and their their wells
0:15:54.240,0:16:00.560
are filled with
0:15:56.480,0:16:03.759
with salt water and their tarot patches
0:16:00.560,0:16:06.240
so um you know they've the
0:16:03.759,0:16:07.759
point-based data has taken uh some
0:16:06.240,0:16:12.160
immediate
0:16:07.759,0:16:14.720
stuff down like food items and water
0:16:12.160,0:16:15.839
but mct is more interested in the longer
0:16:14.720,0:16:19.040
term
0:16:15.839,0:16:22.399
uh solutions so we're worked
0:16:19.040,0:16:25.880
we've purchased eight
0:16:22.399,0:16:29.759
uh large uh 100
0:16:25.880,0:16:33.120
1600 gallon water tanks to be taken down
0:16:29.759,0:16:34.000
on on the next field trip and then we'll
0:16:33.120,0:16:36.560
do our
0:16:34.000,0:16:39.759
own assessment when we go down and see
0:16:36.560,0:16:39.759
what we can do to help
0:16:40.399,0:16:45.040
you know with the water uh especially
0:16:43.040,0:16:46.000
their tarot patches what we can do to
0:16:45.040,0:16:49.360
help them
0:16:46.000,0:16:53.199
re re-establish those
0:16:49.360,0:16:54.880
wow um and that's a food source
0:16:53.199,0:16:57.920
for for those of us who might not be
0:16:54.880,0:17:00.000
aware of the importance of tarot
0:16:57.920,0:17:01.120
uh to these small pacific island
0:17:00.000,0:17:05.520
communities
0:17:01.120,0:17:08.079
um tell me about uh
0:17:05.520,0:17:10.319
the the work that you're doing with uh
0:17:08.079,0:17:12.240
you through our partners uh the local
0:17:10.319,0:17:15.520
conservation organizations we have
0:17:12.240,0:17:16.959
uh they visit the schools and they do a
0:17:15.520,0:17:21.120
bunch of activities
0:17:16.959,0:17:24.880
from elementary level all the way up to
0:17:21.120,0:17:24.880
college level students
0:17:26.240,0:17:34.240
in addition to that we also
0:17:30.640,0:17:35.039
started internships so students can
0:17:34.240,0:17:37.679
actually
0:17:35.039,0:17:39.039
do internships that we will actually
0:17:37.679,0:17:42.080
fund
0:17:39.039,0:17:44.320
and students are eligible some
0:17:42.080,0:17:46.480
i think our current programs up to five
0:17:44.320,0:17:50.880
thousand dollars per student if they
0:17:46.480,0:17:53.520
wanted to uh be in an intern
0:17:50.880,0:17:55.200
uh and in any of the jurisdictions and
0:17:53.520,0:17:57.760
they
0:17:55.200,0:17:58.640
i think we we usually do a couple per
0:17:57.760,0:18:00.320
year
0:17:58.640,0:18:01.840
for college level students to do
0:18:00.320,0:18:04.080
internships
0:18:01.840,0:18:06.000
and they would work with the
0:18:04.080,0:18:08.880
conservation organizations
0:18:06.000,0:18:09.520
on a specific project and that money is
0:18:08.880,0:18:11.679
used to
0:18:09.520,0:18:13.919
help them with their project as well as
0:18:11.679,0:18:14.640
to cover some of their school expenses
0:18:13.919,0:18:17.360
so
0:18:14.640,0:18:19.600
usually half of it goes into covering
0:18:17.360,0:18:21.600
some of their
0:18:19.600,0:18:23.520
school costs but then some of it goes
0:18:21.600,0:18:25.679
into actually they're
0:18:23.520,0:18:27.120
running their projects and they've come
0:18:25.679,0:18:29.840
up with a bunch of
0:18:27.120,0:18:29.840
videos
0:18:33.120,0:18:37.120
and then finally there's the bill rayner
0:18:35.760,0:18:41.360
magnesia challenge
0:18:37.120,0:18:44.559
scholarship and the and we also have a
0:18:41.360,0:18:46.799
associate partner in japan called the
0:18:44.559,0:18:49.280
association for the
0:18:46.799,0:18:51.200
promotion of international cooperation
0:18:49.280,0:18:52.720
which is a private foundation in japan
0:18:51.200,0:18:55.760
that supports
0:18:52.720,0:18:57.280
micronesian students to attend sofia
0:18:55.760,0:18:59.679
university which is a
0:18:57.280,0:19:01.520
chesswood university and they have a
0:18:59.679,0:19:03.520
environment
0:19:01.520,0:19:05.039
environment program that our students go
0:19:03.520,0:19:07.200
to and we've had
0:19:05.039,0:19:09.679
three graduate from there with master's
0:19:07.200,0:19:12.799
degrees and they're back home
0:19:09.679,0:19:13.600
one is now running the chooky pa one is
0:19:12.799,0:19:16.240
running
0:19:13.600,0:19:17.280
mct's capacity building program so we
0:19:16.240,0:19:21.840
hired her
0:19:17.280,0:19:25.360
and then one is running the rich to reef
0:19:21.840,0:19:27.520
program in kosai and we have uh
0:19:25.360,0:19:29.360
two more there and then other ones who
0:19:27.520,0:19:30.320
are receiving bill raynor scholarships
0:19:29.360,0:19:34.320
are all over
0:19:30.320,0:19:38.240
uh some are going to school in the u.s
0:19:34.320,0:19:40.080
uh some at uh in other uh
0:19:38.240,0:19:42.160
schools like university of the south
0:19:40.080,0:19:44.080
pacific and that so
0:19:42.160,0:19:45.280
and those are the bill reiner
0:19:44.080,0:19:47.600
scholarships
0:19:45.280,0:19:50.000
are up to thirty thousand dollars per
0:19:47.600,0:19:50.000
student
0:19:50.720,0:19:54.720
so um tell me a little bit more about
0:19:52.720,0:19:57.120
your international partners
0:19:54.720,0:19:58.000
do you have a i i it seems like you work
0:19:57.120,0:20:01.440
with pew
0:19:58.000,0:20:02.080
maybe that i can think of yes uh so we
0:20:01.440,0:20:04.880
have a
0:20:02.080,0:20:07.440
number of international partners uh we
0:20:04.880,0:20:10.320
work with pew to do the
0:20:07.440,0:20:11.200
micronesia sanctuary work which
0:20:10.320,0:20:14.240
basically puts
0:20:11.200,0:20:14.240
all of micronesia
0:20:14.400,0:20:19.280
under shark protection so this whole
0:20:17.760,0:20:22.640
region you can't
0:20:19.280,0:20:25.919
fish for sharks palau
0:20:22.640,0:20:28.400
marshals fsm guam and cnmi that's
0:20:25.919,0:20:31.039
prohibited
0:20:28.400,0:20:32.080
shark fishing and then we we're working
0:20:31.039,0:20:35.840
with this group
0:20:32.080,0:20:35.840
called the
0:20:36.600,0:20:42.559
prosperity coalition and
0:20:39.280,0:20:45.440
addition the weight institute
0:20:42.559,0:20:46.720
and and we're working on large looking
0:20:45.440,0:20:49.280
at large-scale
0:20:46.720,0:20:50.960
protected areas in the exclusive
0:20:49.280,0:20:52.960
economic zones
0:20:50.960,0:20:54.320
to help these countries meet their
0:20:52.960,0:20:58.400
protected area
0:20:54.320,0:21:00.240
commitments or aspirations
0:20:58.400,0:21:02.799
does this tie back to your to the
0:21:00.240,0:21:04.799
micronesia 2030 challenge or
0:21:02.799,0:21:05.919
was it yeah okay it's sort of an
0:21:04.799,0:21:08.960
expansion
0:21:05.919,0:21:12.159
uh because the magnesium challenge 30 20
0:21:08.960,0:21:15.520
was really focused on near storm marine
0:21:12.159,0:21:16.400
areas and what we're doing with the
0:21:15.520,0:21:18.480
weight
0:21:16.400,0:21:19.679
institute and the blue prosperity
0:21:18.480,0:21:23.039
coalition
0:21:19.679,0:21:26.320
is uh really looking at
0:21:23.039,0:21:30.080
exclusive economic zones uh and
0:21:26.320,0:21:33.600
how to expand this uh protected area
0:21:30.080,0:21:37.120
network beyond the near shore world
0:21:33.600,0:21:40.000
and there's a blue prosperity micronesia
0:21:37.120,0:21:40.720
program which is started by president
0:21:40.000,0:21:43.600
panuello
0:21:40.720,0:21:46.080
through prosperity coalition works
0:21:43.600,0:21:49.280
globally
0:21:46.080,0:21:52.159
but when they when they came to
0:21:49.280,0:21:53.919
our region it was president panuello
0:21:52.159,0:21:54.880
sort of and when i say region all the
0:21:53.919,0:21:58.000
way to
0:21:54.880,0:21:59.280
the south they they're already working
0:21:58.000,0:22:01.120
in tonga
0:21:59.280,0:22:02.480
and so the two places they're working in
0:22:01.120,0:22:05.600
are in tonga and in
0:22:02.480,0:22:09.520
in fsm and their hope is to be able to
0:22:05.600,0:22:11.280
expand and and it's not just about
0:22:09.520,0:22:12.720
protected areas they're looking at
0:22:11.280,0:22:14.880
supporting these countries with their
0:22:12.720,0:22:18.720
blue economy so looking at
0:22:14.880,0:22:21.919
how to expand on
0:22:18.720,0:22:25.360
sustainable development activities
0:22:21.919,0:22:30.720
that rely on our oceans so ecotourism
0:22:25.360,0:22:33.679
fisheries and any any other
0:22:30.720,0:22:35.679
so there's there's that and then so what
0:22:33.679,0:22:40.640
we're doing at the fsm
0:22:35.679,0:22:43.679
is doing a marine spatial planning
0:22:40.640,0:22:45.440
to sort of map out where the potential
0:22:43.679,0:22:47.440
area is to be protected
0:22:45.440,0:22:49.039
and then we're doing the blue prosperity
0:22:47.440,0:22:51.200
the blue economy work
0:22:49.039,0:22:53.440
which is working with the government and
0:22:51.200,0:22:54.559
the private sector to look at how we can
0:22:53.440,0:22:56.720
expand
0:22:54.559,0:22:59.120
on more sustainable development
0:22:56.720,0:23:03.520
activities
0:22:59.120,0:23:06.640
that are dependent on the on our ocean
0:23:03.520,0:23:08.960
and the third thing is doing the science
0:23:06.640,0:23:09.919
research which was supposed to be done
0:23:08.960,0:23:12.880
this year
0:23:09.919,0:23:13.760
but because of covet 19 uh we couldn't
0:23:12.880,0:23:16.640
do it
0:23:13.760,0:23:17.360
the national geographic is a partner in
0:23:16.640,0:23:20.559
the
0:23:17.360,0:23:22.240
blue prosperity coalition okay and so we
0:23:20.559,0:23:25.679
were supposed to do a science
0:23:22.240,0:23:26.400
expedition starting in kosai all the way
0:23:25.679,0:23:29.520
to
0:23:26.400,0:23:32.960
uh yap uh that would
0:23:29.520,0:23:36.960
uh visit uh many of our islands
0:23:32.960,0:23:40.000
uh to look at how we're doing uh
0:23:36.960,0:23:42.880
in terms of our our fisheries and
0:23:40.000,0:23:43.840
uh you know the marine uh resources that
0:23:42.880,0:23:47.360
we have
0:23:43.840,0:23:50.480
uh and that expedition uh
0:23:47.360,0:23:54.320
is being moved to next year there's
0:23:50.480,0:23:56.400
a couple of reasons behind that
0:23:54.320,0:23:58.799
expedition one is to get the science
0:23:56.400,0:23:59.919
one is to do outreach so we want to hit
0:23:58.799,0:24:01.600
the islands and
0:23:59.919,0:24:03.120
two more outreach and then the third one
0:24:01.600,0:24:05.600
was to is to
0:24:03.120,0:24:07.520
act actually come up with a film that
0:24:05.600,0:24:10.799
would be aired on
0:24:07.520,0:24:13.679
nat jio about these islands
0:24:10.799,0:24:14.799
and uh the hope is that it would help to
0:24:13.679,0:24:18.159
generate some
0:24:14.799,0:24:21.679
ecotourism uh in our in our
0:24:18.159,0:24:24.640
uh commentary uh so there's uh
0:24:21.679,0:24:25.679
those are sort of the uh things that are
0:24:24.640,0:24:28.000
involved with the
0:24:25.679,0:24:32.000
blue prosperity micronesia work and mct
0:24:28.000,0:24:34.159
is part of the blue prosperity coalition
0:24:32.000,0:24:35.120
we're partners with the weight institute
0:24:34.159,0:24:38.400
and the weight
0:24:35.120,0:24:41.200
foundation what is uh what would you say
0:24:38.400,0:24:42.240
is the most immediate um aside from
0:24:41.200,0:24:44.559
eco-tourism
0:24:42.240,0:24:46.880
and uh promoting ecotourism what is like
0:24:44.559,0:24:49.919
the most maybe closest
0:24:46.880,0:24:52.000
goal with blue prosperity for the fsm
0:24:49.919,0:24:54.000
and the micronesia conservation trust
0:24:52.000,0:24:55.360
like what is the most uh
0:24:54.000,0:24:57.039
closest hanging fruit that you're
0:24:55.360,0:24:58.880
working towards
0:24:57.039,0:25:00.799
well we want we want to complete this
0:24:58.880,0:25:02.799
marine spatial plan which is also being
0:25:00.799,0:25:05.919
delayed by the govit 19
0:25:02.799,0:25:07.840
because we want to have a map i mean we
0:25:05.919,0:25:09.760
already have maps of the fsm but we want
0:25:07.840,0:25:12.880
to have this mapping
0:25:09.760,0:25:16.159
process that would you know show
0:25:12.880,0:25:17.760
us uh the states and the national
0:25:16.159,0:25:18.559
government and the communities will be
0:25:17.760,0:25:21.840
able to
0:25:18.559,0:25:23.679
decide you know these are the
0:25:21.840,0:25:26.320
really pristine areas that we want to
0:25:23.679,0:25:30.159
set aside
0:25:26.320,0:25:32.240
you know in order to
0:25:30.159,0:25:33.600
help sustainably manage our our
0:25:32.240,0:25:36.960
fisheries
0:25:33.600,0:25:38.720
um which we're so dependent on yeah it's
0:25:36.960,0:25:40.720
a fishing population
0:25:38.720,0:25:42.960
please forgive my my lack of awareness
0:25:40.720,0:25:46.799
is it a fishing population
0:25:42.960,0:25:49.679
mapping or it's bigger than that
0:25:46.799,0:25:50.640
our component of that would look at you
0:25:49.679,0:25:53.039
know
0:25:50.640,0:25:54.400
where the tuna is and where it's
0:25:53.039,0:25:56.720
traveling and
0:25:54.400,0:25:58.559
you know where we want to preserve some
0:25:56.720,0:26:01.760
of those places and
0:25:58.559,0:26:02.559
uh where they're living where they sleep
0:26:01.760,0:26:05.039
what they
0:26:02.559,0:26:05.919
where they congregate those kinds of
0:26:05.039,0:26:10.400
things
0:26:05.919,0:26:13.600
and uh we um
0:26:10.400,0:26:13.600
i mean the scientists there
0:26:13.760,0:26:17.600
they know a lot of that already but
0:26:16.400,0:26:19.600
we're doing this
0:26:17.600,0:26:21.360
again with the government to look at
0:26:19.600,0:26:24.240
places that they might want to
0:26:21.360,0:26:26.799
be able to reserve so that we can keep
0:26:24.240,0:26:29.679
the stocks really healthy
0:26:26.799,0:26:29.679
the um
0:26:31.440,0:26:34.880
yeah so i would say that that's the
0:26:33.039,0:26:35.600
first thing we want to be doing and then
0:26:34.880,0:26:37.919
looking at
0:26:35.600,0:26:38.720
we already we've we've already
0:26:37.919,0:26:43.039
contracted
0:26:38.720,0:26:43.520
uh a law firm here in the fsm to also
0:26:43.039,0:26:45.520
look
0:26:43.520,0:26:46.720
help us look at the policies and the
0:26:45.520,0:26:49.200
legislation
0:26:46.720,0:26:50.240
and where there are gaps so we're doing
0:26:49.200,0:26:53.679
a policy and
0:26:50.240,0:26:56.960
legislative review to see where
0:26:53.679,0:26:59.840
we can improve on those to help
0:26:56.960,0:27:01.679
manage our fisheries better wow are
0:26:59.840,0:27:04.640
there other countries in the world
0:27:01.679,0:27:05.679
that have a model that you're looking to
0:27:04.640,0:27:07.760
emulate
0:27:05.679,0:27:10.240
or are you actually striking out in an
0:27:07.760,0:27:11.440
area that's that's unexplored or sort of
0:27:10.240,0:27:14.640
not really been done
0:27:11.440,0:27:17.120
well the seychelles has done it and
0:27:14.640,0:27:18.240
they've they've done a marine spatial
0:27:17.120,0:27:21.840
plan for the
0:27:18.240,0:27:22.720
their entire country tonga is also doing
0:27:21.840,0:27:25.600
it now and
0:27:22.720,0:27:26.240
fsm wants to do it as well so could you
0:27:25.600,0:27:27.760
speak
0:27:26.240,0:27:29.840
maybe a little bit about the history
0:27:27.760,0:27:30.640
that you have with the office of insular
0:27:29.840,0:27:33.520
affairs
0:27:30.640,0:27:34.080
yes thank you so um we've actually
0:27:33.520,0:27:37.760
received
0:27:34.080,0:27:39.679
uh good support from
0:27:37.760,0:27:41.039
doi and some of the other federal
0:27:39.679,0:27:44.320
agencies noaa
0:27:41.039,0:27:48.240
and the u.s forest service and
0:27:44.320,0:27:52.480
that started when you know we were
0:27:48.240,0:27:54.080
invited to the u.s coral reef task force
0:27:52.480,0:27:55.520
meetings and we started to do our
0:27:54.080,0:27:58.880
presentations and
0:27:55.520,0:28:00.320
internships and the capacity building
0:27:58.880,0:28:02.320
work and the
0:28:00.320,0:28:03.679
pacific islands managed and protected
0:28:02.320,0:28:05.360
areas community
0:28:03.679,0:28:08.080
a lot of those things have been
0:28:05.360,0:28:12.559
supported over the years by these
0:28:08.080,0:28:14.399
grants from uh insular affairs yeah so
0:28:12.559,0:28:16.640
we've had a really good relationship i
0:28:14.399,0:28:19.520
think it's been more than
0:28:16.640,0:28:19.520
10 years now
0:28:19.840,0:28:23.919
yeah thank you for mentioning karen
0:28:21.360,0:28:26.320
coltes she was the first
0:28:23.919,0:28:27.919
coral reef she was the first person in
0:28:26.320,0:28:30.240
the office of insular affairs
0:28:27.919,0:28:32.480
who who started the coral reef program
0:28:30.240,0:28:34.240
or was managing those funds that were
0:28:32.480,0:28:36.080
provided by congress
0:28:34.240,0:28:37.520
and uh working with all the different
0:28:36.080,0:28:39.279
groups that you mentioned coral reef
0:28:37.520,0:28:41.120
task force pinback
0:28:39.279,0:28:42.720
and i believe if i remember hearing a
0:28:41.120,0:28:44.559
story from you you said that she was one
0:28:42.720,0:28:48.960
of the first federal
0:28:44.559,0:28:51.520
uh federal offices to to actually fund
0:28:48.960,0:28:53.120
maybe it was the micronesia challenge
0:28:51.520,0:28:55.360
and
0:28:53.120,0:28:58.080
she she's not with us she's not in our
0:28:55.360,0:28:59.840
office anymore but but it's definitely
0:28:58.080,0:29:01.360
uh we we should definitely give thank
0:28:59.840,0:29:01.840
you for mentioning her because she's
0:29:01.360,0:29:04.720
been
0:29:01.840,0:29:06.159
uh she she started the all of this
0:29:04.720,0:29:08.159
important work with coral reef
0:29:06.159,0:29:10.559
preservation and and environmental work
0:29:08.159,0:29:12.880
in the office of insular affairs so
0:29:10.559,0:29:13.760
thank you for bringing her up yeah the
0:29:12.880,0:29:16.240
other the other
0:29:13.760,0:29:16.880
uh more recent grants that you guys have
0:29:16.240,0:29:20.559
supported
0:29:16.880,0:29:23.679
is the ponte invasive species
0:29:20.559,0:29:26.880
uh eradication and management work and
0:29:23.679,0:29:30.640
we had proposed to eradicate
0:29:26.880,0:29:32.240
three uh invasive species but i think
0:29:30.640,0:29:34.799
we're going to surpass that because i
0:29:32.240,0:29:36.880
know these guys are working on seven
0:29:34.799,0:29:39.520
now because they're doing they're doing
0:29:36.880,0:29:42.720
so well they decided to expand
0:29:39.520,0:29:44.640
uh and to ir to um they might end up
0:29:42.720,0:29:47.600
with seven but at least we will
0:29:44.640,0:29:49.279
we will meet the three oh wow what are
0:29:47.600,0:29:50.960
the exact can you give us an example of
0:29:49.279,0:29:54.399
what those invasive species are
0:29:50.960,0:29:56.960
for well a lot of them are plant
0:29:54.399,0:30:00.399
invasive species unfortunately we have
0:29:56.960,0:30:00.399
to kill the chain of love
0:30:00.880,0:30:07.440
it's one pain of love invasive bad
0:30:04.240,0:30:10.640
mile a minute mile a minute
0:30:07.440,0:30:12.880
they grow a mile a minute maybe not that
0:30:10.640,0:30:15.760
fast but that's what we call them
0:30:12.880,0:30:16.960
uh and and a bunch of other ones and
0:30:15.760,0:30:18.880
we've also
0:30:16.960,0:30:22.080
with that same grant we've also come up
0:30:18.880,0:30:27.039
with emergency response plans for
0:30:22.080,0:30:27.039
uh how we would deal with the
0:30:27.520,0:30:33.600
rhinoceros beetle existing now in guam
0:30:31.840,0:30:36.799
and in
0:30:33.600,0:30:40.799
in oh it's palau palau
0:30:36.799,0:30:43.840
yes and it's in the cnmi too yes
0:30:40.799,0:30:45.360
i think yes yes i
0:30:43.840,0:30:49.520
i hope they're containing the one in
0:30:45.360,0:30:49.520
rota because it's just in rota right now
0:30:49.679,0:30:53.760
but um you know the scariest thing for
0:30:53.120,0:30:56.159
us
0:30:53.760,0:30:57.039
in in guam and palau they're attacking
0:30:56.159,0:31:00.720
the
0:30:57.039,0:31:04.399
the coconuts which is a real
0:31:00.720,0:31:05.919
uh vital resource for them and that's
0:31:04.399,0:31:09.360
the same here
0:31:05.919,0:31:13.039
in bonbait but we also have the kotop
0:31:09.360,0:31:14.960
the palm tree that's endemic to ponte
0:31:13.039,0:31:18.000
and covers a lot
0:31:14.960,0:31:21.039
of areas in our forests and if
0:31:18.000,0:31:21.039
beetle comes here
0:31:21.120,0:31:27.200
and they would also love to eat the
0:31:24.159,0:31:30.480
cottage the palm
0:31:27.200,0:31:31.120
forest that will be devastating it will
0:31:30.480,0:31:33.039
be
0:31:31.120,0:31:35.279
worse than any other jurisdiction
0:31:33.039,0:31:35.840
because we're the only ones with forests
0:31:35.279,0:31:38.480
of
0:31:35.840,0:31:38.960
those none of the other jurisdictions
0:31:38.480,0:31:42.880
have
0:31:38.960,0:31:42.880
they they love the um
0:31:43.200,0:31:48.480
the inner part of the
0:31:46.399,0:31:50.960
coconut where you know where we like to
0:31:48.480,0:31:52.080
eat did you eat the cocoa people on the
0:31:50.960,0:31:54.320
inside
0:31:52.080,0:31:56.799
on the inside yeah yeah those also they
0:31:54.320,0:31:59.039
like it too beetles like it too
0:31:56.799,0:32:00.240
and and the cotton is a lot i mean
0:31:59.039,0:32:02.960
there's um
0:32:00.240,0:32:03.840
there are large areas of the forest that
0:32:02.960,0:32:07.679
are just
0:32:03.840,0:32:10.799
caught up and that's natural uh
0:32:07.679,0:32:13.279
is that uh what is it it's like a it's
0:32:10.799,0:32:16.320
like a piranha tree but it's uh
0:32:13.279,0:32:17.039
it's up in the forest okay okay we have
0:32:16.320,0:32:20.480
the
0:32:17.039,0:32:23.919
emergency response plan already uh
0:32:20.480,0:32:27.120
developed for that so uh it's a
0:32:23.919,0:32:29.279
it's a handbook that we're training
0:32:27.120,0:32:30.480
people on especially the people out at
0:32:29.279,0:32:33.519
the port
0:32:30.480,0:32:35.679
on how to handle if if it ever gets here
0:32:33.519,0:32:36.799
and the other one is that because we do
0:32:35.679,0:32:40.799
have the fire hand
0:32:36.799,0:32:42.559
in in the app we're helping them to do
0:32:40.799,0:32:45.519
some of the control over there but
0:32:42.559,0:32:46.240
we also have a emergency response
0:32:45.519,0:32:48.640
handbook
0:32:46.240,0:32:49.840
in case it gets here so so those are the
0:32:48.640,0:32:52.159
two that we've
0:32:49.840,0:32:53.760
used this grant from you guys to develop
0:32:52.159,0:32:57.039
those two handbooks and
0:32:53.760,0:32:58.960
they should be able to be used across
0:32:57.039,0:33:04.240
micronesia
0:32:58.960,0:33:06.960
especially islands that so they should
0:33:04.240,0:33:07.600
all because we already have it for point
0:33:06.960,0:33:10.320
b
0:33:07.600,0:33:10.799
uh they could be replicated quickly for
0:33:10.320,0:33:13.919
yeah
0:33:10.799,0:33:15.840
i mean kusai chook marshals
0:33:13.919,0:33:17.679
so we'll be happy to share those with
0:33:15.840,0:33:18.880
the other jurisdictions so they can
0:33:17.679,0:33:20.640
develop those as well
0:33:18.880,0:33:22.240
for their own jurisdictions but the
0:33:20.640,0:33:25.600
activities should be this
0:33:22.240,0:33:28.000
very similar yeah
0:33:25.600,0:33:29.440
um you know thank you for for for the
0:33:28.000,0:33:31.519
work that you do and and
0:33:29.440,0:33:34.240
and congratulations in the instances
0:33:31.519,0:33:37.200
that you have been successful in in uh
0:33:34.240,0:33:38.640
in in acquiring uh funds from the office
0:33:37.200,0:33:41.440
of insular affairs
0:33:38.640,0:33:43.360
uh i know you re we talked about the
0:33:41.440,0:33:44.320
fellowship program or the internship
0:33:43.360,0:33:46.720
program
0:33:44.320,0:33:49.039
and it looks like last year uh you were
0:33:46.720,0:33:51.760
or this year you were granted uh 212
0:33:49.039,0:33:53.760
000 to support that you touched briefly
0:33:51.760,0:33:56.240
on the coronavirus is there any
0:33:53.760,0:33:56.880
any other impacts that the kovid has had
0:33:56.240,0:34:00.559
on
0:33:56.880,0:34:03.120
on on your work out there well um
0:34:00.559,0:34:03.679
you know we we aren't able to uh travel
0:34:03.120,0:34:06.159
to the
0:34:03.679,0:34:08.560
other jurisdictions anymore and so some
0:34:06.159,0:34:10.720
of the training that we usually do
0:34:08.560,0:34:13.040
and the monitoring and evaluation work
0:34:10.720,0:34:16.399
that we do on the projects is now
0:34:13.040,0:34:19.040
just uh really dependent on the reports
0:34:16.399,0:34:21.040
that we're getting but you know before
0:34:19.040,0:34:23.520
we would be able to go out
0:34:21.040,0:34:25.200
uh to the other jurisdictions and
0:34:23.520,0:34:27.599
conduct trainings and
0:34:25.200,0:34:29.359
look at how their projects are going and
0:34:27.599,0:34:30.399
it makes a big difference when you're
0:34:29.359,0:34:33.520
out there
0:34:30.399,0:34:35.679
interacting with people face to face
0:34:33.520,0:34:37.119
and actually seeing what's going on with
0:34:35.679,0:34:38.879
the projects then
0:34:37.119,0:34:40.560
just receiving the reports and doing
0:34:38.879,0:34:43.760
these trainings online
0:34:40.560,0:34:43.760
that's been very difficult
0:34:44.399,0:34:50.320
it's nice not to have to uh
0:34:47.520,0:34:52.000
travel and to be staying with family uh
0:34:50.320,0:34:54.800
and a lot of work can be done
0:34:52.000,0:34:55.280
uh can get done now because you were
0:34:54.800,0:34:59.119
stuck
0:34:55.280,0:35:03.040
uh on the island so a lot of the uh
0:34:59.119,0:35:06.720
the work that we want to get done
0:35:03.040,0:35:08.400
are are being done but then
0:35:06.720,0:35:10.960
not being able to support the other
0:35:08.400,0:35:14.000
islands is
0:35:10.960,0:35:16.160
has been very challenging for us
0:35:14.000,0:35:17.119
how many uh how big of a staff do you
0:35:16.160,0:35:19.599
have and and
0:35:17.119,0:35:21.119
what is your uh roughly how much how
0:35:19.599,0:35:23.920
much in grants do you
0:35:21.119,0:35:25.280
do you provide each year in the region
0:35:23.920,0:35:28.320
yes so we have
0:35:25.280,0:35:31.440
um we have about 20
0:35:28.320,0:35:31.920
active grants that we've received so
0:35:31.440,0:35:35.040
that
0:35:31.920,0:35:38.079
are ongoing because we get
0:35:35.040,0:35:39.200
you know federal support private
0:35:38.079,0:35:41.680
foundation support
0:35:39.200,0:35:43.359
not just from the us but from other
0:35:41.680,0:35:46.400
areas
0:35:43.359,0:35:48.320
and we do get support from the larger
0:35:46.400,0:35:51.599
multi
0:35:48.320,0:35:54.960
national agencies like the
0:35:51.599,0:35:57.599
global environment facility or the green
0:35:54.960,0:35:58.320
climate fund adaptation fund so those
0:35:57.599,0:36:01.040
are
0:35:58.320,0:36:01.599
uh the un organizations that also
0:36:01.040,0:36:04.640
provide
0:36:01.599,0:36:09.280
a lot of support to us and then we have
0:36:04.640,0:36:09.280
maybe about 50
0:36:09.520,0:36:12.880
projects that we're supporting at a time
0:36:12.480,0:36:16.960
and
0:36:12.880,0:36:19.359
so we have a staff about 13
0:36:16.960,0:36:19.359
i think
0:36:20.240,0:36:26.400
maybe 60 of those are
0:36:23.359,0:36:28.560
the guys who are in the grants
0:36:26.400,0:36:29.520
area so they work with the grantees and
0:36:28.560,0:36:33.520
then
0:36:29.520,0:36:36.800
40 are on the on the admin
0:36:33.520,0:36:38.839
uh work and the fundraising and
0:36:36.800,0:36:40.720
all of that so there's 13 of us right
0:36:38.839,0:36:43.359
now
0:36:40.720,0:36:47.359
we have this year our approved budget
0:36:43.359,0:36:47.359
was at 2.7 million dollars
0:36:48.160,0:36:52.880
for all the jurisdictions and of course
0:36:51.599,0:36:54.640
we also managed the
0:36:52.880,0:36:58.400
micronesia challenge endowment fund
0:36:54.640,0:36:58.400
which is about 22 million dollars
0:36:59.359,0:37:04.000
it's an endowment fund to that goes out
0:37:01.599,0:37:05.760
to the jurisdictions here
0:37:04.000,0:37:07.760
um i i meant to ask you about the
0:37:05.760,0:37:08.240
micronesia challenge just walking back a
0:37:07.760,0:37:11.839
little bit
0:37:08.240,0:37:14.560
how about that how is that um
0:37:11.839,0:37:15.119
what was it was it to conserve 20 uh 20
0:37:14.560,0:37:18.800
percent
0:37:15.119,0:37:21.680
or was it 30 by 2020
0:37:18.800,0:37:22.560
30 of marine near nearshore marine
0:37:21.680,0:37:25.359
resources by
0:37:22.560,0:37:26.640
2020 and 20 of the terrestrial resources
0:37:25.359,0:37:29.119
by 2020
0:37:26.640,0:37:30.400
some of the jurisdictions have managed
0:37:29.119,0:37:35.040
to get there
0:37:30.400,0:37:38.640
and some are still lagging behind
0:37:35.040,0:37:41.200
but yes right now our uh
0:37:38.640,0:37:42.240
our focus is really on looking at
0:37:41.200,0:37:44.640
whether
0:37:42.240,0:37:46.480
uh not just meeting those numbers but
0:37:44.640,0:37:50.160
whether they're actually effectively
0:37:46.480,0:37:52.480
being managed because you can put
0:37:50.160,0:37:53.760
places under protection in laws and on
0:37:52.480,0:37:56.400
paper
0:37:53.760,0:37:57.920
but you don't really know if it's
0:37:56.400,0:38:00.880
actually working on the ground
0:37:57.920,0:38:02.320
so that's the real focus now is that
0:38:00.880,0:38:04.000
we're working with the palau
0:38:02.320,0:38:07.119
international coral reef center
0:38:04.000,0:38:09.119
and the uoc marine lab and the nature
0:38:07.119,0:38:12.800
conservancy and a bunch of other
0:38:09.119,0:38:16.640
scientists to look at whether what we're
0:38:12.800,0:38:18.960
doing is actually effective
0:38:16.640,0:38:19.920
right that makes sense and that leads to
0:38:18.960,0:38:22.079
my next question
0:38:19.920,0:38:24.240
how do you balance uh conservation with
0:38:22.079,0:38:27.680
uh economic needs
0:38:24.240,0:38:30.000
and developing economically
0:38:27.680,0:38:32.160
yeah so that's one of our programs we
0:38:30.000,0:38:35.200
have a the third component of our
0:38:32.160,0:38:36.880
program is the livelihoods program so we
0:38:35.200,0:38:37.599
work when we work with the communities
0:38:36.880,0:38:40.800
we're not just
0:38:37.599,0:38:42.960
asking them to set aside protected areas
0:38:40.800,0:38:43.839
and then we leave them alone we actually
0:38:42.960,0:38:45.760
have
0:38:43.839,0:38:48.000
uh work with them on alternative
0:38:45.760,0:38:51.200
livelihoods programs so
0:38:48.000,0:38:55.200
we've helped several communities set up
0:38:51.200,0:38:58.400
revolving funds where they can you know
0:38:55.200,0:38:59.920
benefit from uh putting things under
0:38:58.400,0:39:03.920
conservation
0:38:59.920,0:39:06.880
for example in my own village we
0:39:03.920,0:39:08.800
we when the university of hawaii hilo
0:39:06.880,0:39:12.960
epa
0:39:08.800,0:39:15.520
and fsm the seom fsm tested all the
0:39:12.960,0:39:16.000
streams around poompi they found that
0:39:15.520,0:39:17.839
our
0:39:16.000,0:39:19.680
our stream in a walk was one of the most
0:39:17.839,0:39:23.040
contaminated because we
0:39:19.680,0:39:24.000
we raised pigs and a lot of those big
0:39:23.040,0:39:27.280
pens are on their
0:39:24.000,0:39:30.800
on the streams and so we worked
0:39:27.280,0:39:33.760
we we received this un small grants
0:39:30.800,0:39:35.440
of about fifty thousand dollars and we
0:39:33.760,0:39:39.280
helped the farmers
0:39:35.440,0:39:42.960
uh um renovate their
0:39:39.280,0:39:46.800
picnic bands uh in from being
0:39:42.960,0:39:49.520
just regular pig vents where you wash
0:39:46.800,0:39:51.119
into what's called the dry litter system
0:39:49.520,0:39:54.960
and we're using
0:39:51.119,0:39:56.160
chip wood chips uh in the big bands now
0:39:54.960,0:39:58.720
and they collect them
0:39:56.160,0:39:59.839
instead of washing the pikmin or into
0:39:58.720,0:40:01.680
the stream
0:39:59.839,0:40:04.640
they they collect them and they turn
0:40:01.680,0:40:07.680
those into natural fertilizers
0:40:04.640,0:40:10.400
which then they they use to help with
0:40:07.680,0:40:14.480
their own crops but they sell the excess
0:40:10.400,0:40:15.119
and the families involved 17 families
0:40:14.480,0:40:19.440
involved
0:40:15.119,0:40:23.680
in up in that kapinawak which is the
0:40:19.440,0:40:25.760
area that the stream is running down
0:40:23.680,0:40:28.720
and we've cleaned up that stream to be
0:40:25.760,0:40:30.960
one of the cleanest in pontbay right now
0:40:28.720,0:40:32.480
so we we solve the environment problem
0:40:30.960,0:40:35.760
but we also
0:40:32.480,0:40:40.480
now the peop the farmers are selling
0:40:35.760,0:40:42.960
this natural fertilizer to other people
0:40:40.480,0:40:45.760
around pontbay and they're using those
0:40:42.960,0:40:47.680
fertilizers to
0:40:45.760,0:40:49.359
and you're still able to raise your pigs
0:40:47.680,0:40:51.280
for all of those important uh
0:40:49.359,0:40:54.000
traditional
0:40:51.280,0:40:55.680
so functions a win-win situation and i
0:40:54.000,0:40:57.920
think right now that revolving fund is
0:40:55.680,0:40:59.920
about thirty thousand dollars in it
0:40:57.920,0:41:01.599
and so they're already talking about
0:40:59.920,0:41:04.960
maybe doing solar
0:41:01.599,0:41:06.800
systems on their homes uh because they
0:41:04.960,0:41:08.560
when they when they got the money to
0:41:06.800,0:41:09.680
build their big banks they had to pay
0:41:08.560,0:41:12.560
back
0:41:09.680,0:41:13.760
the money it was like a low no interest
0:41:12.560,0:41:16.400
loan
0:41:13.760,0:41:18.079
and so they paid back about 30 000 and
0:41:16.400,0:41:20.640
now they're talking about maybe
0:41:18.079,0:41:22.240
doing another environmentally friendly
0:41:20.640,0:41:24.800
project which is to do
0:41:22.240,0:41:26.240
maybe solar wow you've touched on a
0:41:24.800,0:41:28.800
couple of points that i
0:41:26.240,0:41:30.240
that i that i i find important one i
0:41:28.800,0:41:31.920
like the notion that
0:41:30.240,0:41:33.359
you're getting a grant but you are also
0:41:31.920,0:41:35.359
paying it back
0:41:33.359,0:41:36.480
through your work the work that you're
0:41:35.359,0:41:39.760
putting out and
0:41:36.480,0:41:42.720
product and then also it sounds
0:41:39.760,0:41:44.400
like uh you know thirty thousand fifty
0:41:42.720,0:41:47.040
thousand these are really small amounts
0:41:44.400,0:41:49.680
but they can make a really huge impact
0:41:47.040,0:41:51.680
in the island on the community yes yes
0:41:49.680,0:41:54.560
and and the money these guys are making
0:41:51.680,0:41:58.240
from the fertilizer sales is about
0:41:54.560,0:42:00.480
uh between 1 500 to 2 000
0:41:58.240,0:42:02.720
and and people say oh what's that gonna
0:42:00.480,0:42:04.560
do to a family and you know
0:42:02.720,0:42:06.880
if a family makes five thousand dollars
0:42:04.560,0:42:09.200
per year and you've just added another
0:42:06.880,0:42:09.920
two thousand dollars to their i mean
0:42:09.200,0:42:12.319
that's a
0:42:09.920,0:42:13.599
huge difference that it makes in the
0:42:12.319,0:42:17.680
family so
0:42:13.599,0:42:18.640
uh the development in fsm has to look at
0:42:17.680,0:42:21.280
the larger
0:42:18.640,0:42:22.160
development stuff but we also have to
0:42:21.280,0:42:25.440
support
0:42:22.160,0:42:29.440
you know the smaller development
0:42:25.440,0:42:31.599
and alternative income sources
0:42:29.440,0:42:32.560
uh that really makes a difference in the
0:42:31.599,0:42:34.480
family
0:42:32.560,0:42:37.119
after all your your community is made up
0:42:34.480,0:42:37.119
of families
0:42:37.359,0:42:42.720
that's beautiful any final points or any
0:42:40.480,0:42:44.160
uh that you wanted us to be aware of or
0:42:42.720,0:42:48.400
to share with
0:42:44.160,0:42:50.160
with um anybody who watches our video
0:42:48.400,0:42:52.079
thank you well i just want to thank you
0:42:50.160,0:42:55.119
guys for taking the time to
0:42:52.079,0:42:58.880
interview uh me and uh
0:42:55.119,0:43:02.000
you know there's 13 of us here so
0:42:58.880,0:43:05.760
uh if you if you also uh
0:43:02.000,0:43:09.040
find the need to uh to interview a few
0:43:05.760,0:43:12.160
more of my colleagues uh
0:43:09.040,0:43:14.800
this is a great office we're 13 staff
0:43:12.160,0:43:16.800
and nine are women and four are men
0:43:14.800,0:43:20.000
that's why we do so well
0:43:16.800,0:43:23.119
sorry philippe and
0:43:20.000,0:43:26.880
yeah we have a we have a young team
0:43:23.119,0:43:28.720
and a very strong team so
0:43:26.880,0:43:30.480
and then we have our strong partners on
0:43:28.720,0:43:32.960
the ground who are doing
0:43:30.480,0:43:33.839
the work so they they make us look good
0:43:32.960,0:43:36.880
by doing
0:43:33.839,0:43:40.000
all the dirty work on the ground we
0:43:36.880,0:43:42.720
we've got the boring the boring job
0:43:40.000,0:43:44.240
of uh writing grants and writing reports
0:43:42.720,0:43:46.079
thank you very much for your time thank
0:43:44.240,0:43:49.119
you for all the good work that you do
0:43:46.079,0:43:51.200
um you know i i'm from the region i'm
0:43:49.119,0:43:53.280
from ponte and so when i
0:43:51.200,0:43:56.480
see all the good work that that you all
0:43:53.280,0:43:58.480
do uh you all make me proud
0:43:56.480,0:44:00.000
and uh one thing that i like to say to
0:43:58.480,0:44:02.480
people is that you know
0:44:00.000,0:44:04.160
over in dc you know we may have funding
0:44:02.480,0:44:06.079
and support that we can
0:44:04.160,0:44:08.000
uh help send out but but we can't
0:44:06.079,0:44:10.640
support anybody if there's nobody
0:44:08.000,0:44:11.359
that's doing the work on the ground so
0:44:10.640,0:44:13.040
so really
0:44:11.359,0:44:14.720
uh thank you for all of your work and
0:44:13.040,0:44:16.160
thank you for your time and
0:44:14.720,0:44:18.880
i look forward to having another
0:44:16.160,0:44:23.839
conversation with you
0:44:18.880,0:44:23.839
and philippe
0:44:48.960,0:44:51.040
you