Coral Triangle Heart: Timor East Dives into Zero Hunger and Zero Poverty

Image World Bank South East Asia Programs 

Miles and miles of pristine ocean waters...in the Heart of the Coral Triangle East Timor takes a stand to fight coral degradation, poverty, hunger and malnutrition and raise quality of livelihoods. 

The crystal-clear waters of East Timor are known for being one of the World’s richest scuba locations but degradation driven by global and local impacts is catching on fast. 40% of the people of East Timor live below the line of poverty. 45% of Children Under the Age of Five are affected by malnutrition.

“In East Timor malnutrition is chronic among the population...Fish provides an affordable source of protein and essential nutrients and can contribute to a healthy diet. Coral Reef Fisheries are crucial to the livelihoods and food security of local communities of the Atauro Island,” WorldFish Center blasted open a window on Facebook to reveal how they are working at the island to provide solutions on July 15. 

WorldFish is focused in protecting coral reefs and boosting fish supply in East Timor. 

Radio Australia picked up the news and reported that the WorldFish program is “raising the living standards of Timor´s poorest people, farmers and fishers”. 

“For a Timorese family, owning a cow is a luxury and owning a herd of cattle is a sign of wealth. Most of East Timor's cattle are skinny and riddled with parasites and diseases.Chronic malnutrition is holding back growth in East Timor...The population is hungry for more protein, either beef or fish...” Radio Australia reported from ground locations. 

Despite being surrounded by the most richest waters on the planet local fishing industry of East Timor is almost non-existent. Meanwhile Industrial fishing driven by big interest deplete the tuna populations in the Heart of the Coral Triangle and take to other fish stocks of the region. 

“Timor's deep oceans are plundered by foreign boats, its coral reefs are damaged and overfished, and there are just a few inland fish farms. Protecting the ocean is a high priority for residents,” ABC Australia reported. 

Dr David Mills WorldFish Reef Expert spoke to the media on advances made in the island. WorldFish programs in East Timor work to protect coral reefs for new ecotourism spots by banning fishing in some areas and deploying devices which attract fishes in other areas to balance out the losses imposed by the ban. WorldFish also provides support in a Tilapia Fish Farm which operates on land in the island. The goal is more than poverty eradication, human development is the main finish line. 

Dr. Mills -who is also fellow from Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies spoke about nutrition and food sources to fight local hunger and poverty.  

"Surprisingly Timorese only consume about six kilos of fish, per person, per year," Dr Mills said.

"Compare that with 17 kilograms, which is the global average and 27 kilograms (the local average) in Indonesia. Children here are stunted. They don't grow properly due to nutrition problems. The nutrition fish can offer can be very beneficial," Dr. Mills added.

Why do people in Timor make poor use of the ocean resources? WorldFish identified “lack of skills” and “lack of resources” as the only barriers holding down the population. WorldFish sees potential is Sardines -high in numbers in the area as potential for food production as well as nutrition power because they are rich in Calcium, Vitamin A and Zinc. 

These “extra nutrients are desperately needed in this country," WorldFish assures. 

But it is not only Sardines which navigate the Timor East Ocean waters...after all this is the Heart of the Coral Triangle. 

Inside this Coral Triangle -edges shaped by Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands and East Timor there are 500 species of reef building corals for every each ecoregion. 

76% of the World's Coral Species call these waters home. While in Hawaii one would find only 7% of the total World's Coral Reef Species in the Coral Triangle you can find 37% of all the World's Global Coral Reefs species. 

The incredibly rich biodiversity of the waters are the reason why the Coral Triangle is known as the “Amazon of the Ocean”. 

It spans over 5.7 million square kilometers and sustains the lives of over 120 million people.  The Coral Triangle Knowledge Networks explains that because it is recognized as a global centre of marine biodiversity it has become a global priority for conservation. 

Fisheries exports total 3 billion USD and tourism incomes peak to 3 billion USD and continue to rise. WWF launched in 2007 the Coral Triangle Program to face threats of marine conservation. 

WWF specially highlights the Tuna industrial fishing in the Coral Triangle as a main impact as well as Overfishing due to Illegal, Unregulated, and Undocumented fishing and fishing significant juvenile tuna and capturing endangered, threatened, or protected species. WWF says that Tuna behaviour in the Coral Triangle “has resulted in the serial depletion of populations in many areas to critical limits”.

East Timor is often dimmed out of the Coral-Triangle-News-Breaks because it is only a small island in a mix of South Asian Giants. 

WorldFish´s immediate project goals aim to provide food and way of life to the most needed but eventually the area will find new balance in safeguarding valuable reefs for ecotourism and creating production systems. WorldFish Fish Farm and Sustainable Fishing Programs in other parts of the World have already battled hunger and poverty and moved on to Sustainable Quality Production taking care of domestic food demands and even taking to exporting products. 

WorldFish Center signaled in April that communities of East Timor would be tackling hard coral reef sustainability. WorldFish working with the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries of East Timor partnered with local communities. 

WorldFish adds that while corals are known for their richness there “is clear evidences of decline and over use”. 

Locals in Adara both Men and Women are active fishermen and take to fishing with different types of techniques. Lately they have seen a growth in Tourism and this has provided them with a new source of income and employment. It was the community which approach the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries of East Timor to find support in dealing with the new conditions they face. 

On April 15 the local people of Adara on Atauro Island East Timor formally launched new rules designed by themselves.  

“The people of Adara chose to implement the new rules through a traditional management system, Tara Bandu. Translated as ‘hanging law’, Tara Bandu sets out a system of rules and penalties that community members and those visiting from outside are expected to abide by,” WorldFish revealed. 

The Community did not take Tara Bandu in a hurry. Local Men and Women met for two years before the community members of Adara decided to declare a small marine area closed to all fishing activities and managed under the new rule book Tara Bandu. 

“This will protect the reef immediately in front of the Ecotourism Venture in the community, ensuring it remains in good condition for tourists to enjoy,” Members stated. 

Fishing restrictions apply to all waters near to the community. Bans of type of fishing include small-mesh gill nets, collecting turtles, use of poisons and taking of small fish. 

“It is important that the current generation starts using Tara Bandu to manage our resources now, even if we just start small,”Joao da Costa, Adara Village Chief explained. 

Joana da Costa -also empowering Women as a Women leader and Representative herself spoke about Gender in the waters. 

“In Adara , not only men but also women fish, including for octopus. It is important that we make sure there is good habitat for these animals to breed close to the community,” Joana da Costa added. 

The Tara Bandu agreement has been signed by the Village Chief, Church Representatives, a Woman’s Group Representative, District Authorities and Commanders of Marine and Community Police.

To provide an alternative for the reduction in fish catch which will be experienced due to Tara Bandu and the ban on fishing in the coral area to protect WorldFish and the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries deployed Fish Aggregating Devices other close waters. 

Fish Aggregation Devices FADs are “simple anchored set of buoys which attract oceanic fish, such as scads and mackerel. Fishers with small canoes are no longer reliant only on reef fish they can take to managing and using FADs,” WorldFish experts explained.

“In Timor-Leste there are far fewer fishers catching oceanic fish, so these resources can potentially help improve livelihoods of fishers, and improve food security,” Dr Mills added. 

The entire system will be working an high biodiversity area with high tourism potential. A number of communities expressed interest and the program could go viral on East Timor. 

Hatchery International reported on July 15 on the inland Tilapia Hatchery which WorldFish is implementing in East Timor. 

The goal of the new facility is to help battle undernourishment in the southeast Asian country by growing more fish for local consumption. The Fish Farm is designed to raise consumption from 6 to 15 kg by 2020.

The hatchery has been taken in as part of the East Timor National Aquaculture Development Strategy which ends in 2030. 

The hatchery has the potential to produce up to five million fry per year. The fry can, in turn, be supplied to support Timor-Leste’s burgeoning aquaculture industry with proceeds fed back into the hatchery for running costs and development. 

“Huge potential exists to develop aquaculture as a means to provide nutrition and alternate livelihoods in East Timor,“ WorldFish on a mission to bring down the number of Children Under 5 suffering malnutrition in the Island said.. 

“Globally, more than one billion poor people obtain most of their animal protein from fish and 800 million depend on fisheries and aquaculture for their livelihoods,” WorldFish has the bigger picture and zooms fast  out from the small Island of East Timor. 

No Poverty...Zero Hunger...Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure...Responsible Consumption and Production...East Timor dives deep…into the work worth doing.