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By Rolynda Jonathan
On February 1, Palau Conservation officers concluded a three-week intensive training course sponsored by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
The training course, which aims to develop and implement standardized monitoring protocol to improve the management of Marine Protected Areas and strengthen the Protected Areas Network, brought ten state conservation officers together to build capacity.
The training provided on-the-field hands on training and experience for the participants who prior to the training did not understand the importance of monitoring their respective marine environments.
“We have been protecting our Marine Protected Areas unaware of the resources within,” said Joe Maldangesang, Ngerchelong State Conservation Officer. “This training helps us to understand our resources and whether the State should invest in it or not.”
During the course of the training, participants learned valuable skills from experts from the Palau International Coral Reef Center (PICRC) including expertise from Chief Researcher Tadashi Kimura of Japan Wildlife Research Center.
Kimura encourages more of such training help build capacity as well as strengthen the protection of important marine resources.