Iuaiu

Vision:

"We the people of Angaur want to protect and maintain a healthy marine and forest ecosystem that is free of threats to help sustain people’s livelihood and economic prosperity of Angaur State."

Site Name:  Iuaiu Conservation Area

The Iuaiu Marine Protected Area encompasses 0.72 square kilometers of the southwestern reef flat area and roughly lies between an area known as b1i1 a Bikmak and the beach at Pkul a Medorm.

Role of the Iuaiu Marine Protected Area in the Palau PAN

As part of the Palau Protected Areas Network, the Iuaiu Marine Protected Area plays an important role in adding to the representation of remote, raised-coral island marine ecosystems. The southern fringing reef flat has a large sea grass bed on the shallow reef flat that serves as nursery ground for h fish and other marine species. The outer reef slope hosts a variety of reef organisms that are important to the community for food and for maintaining a robust ecosystem.

The protected Bump Head Parrotfish and the Napoleon Wrasse occur in this area and are important in creating sand that forms the sandy shorelines of Angaur. The area is also a known habitat tor green and hawksbill   turtles. The Iuaiu Marine Protected Area will add to Palau’s protection of its endangered species and their habitat.

The protection and effective management of the area will aid in the replenishment of other nearby marine areas and help build resilience into the Palau Network of Protected Areas.

The establishment of the Iuaiu Marine Protected Area contributes to the Palau’s 20% and 30% goals under the Micronesia Challenge and its biodiversity protection goals under the Convention of Biological Diversity.

Objectives and activities for each management goal are listed below and will serve as bench mark for management effectiveness

• Biological Goal: To restore, maintain, and understand the biological resources of the Iuaiu Marine Protected Area, including ecosystem health, key species, habitats, and biodiversity.

Biological Objectives:

1. Monitor and understand changes in populations of key species and changes in the ecosystem, to be performed at least once every 2 years.
2. Develop and implement a research plan to understand key   biological processes that are important to the effective management of the Protected Area by the end of 2020.

• Socio-economic Goal: For the people of Angaur and their guests to enjoy social and economic benefits of the Iuaiu Marine Protected Area through various activities that are compatible with the goals of this management plan.

Socio-economic Objectives:

1. Over the next five years the majority of the residents of Angaur and their guest benefit from the subsistence, cu1tura1, and recreational use of the Iuaiu Marine Protected Area and areas around it.
2. The majority of the residents of Angaur are satisfied with the management strategies that have been put in place to allow for socio-economic benefits from the Iuaiu Marine Protected Area.
3. Understand the level of use of the reef and how its management impacts the socioeconomic status of the Angaur community.

• Program Management Goal:  Management and Administration of the Iuaiu Marine Protected Area will be efficient, credible, transparent, effective, and adaptive.

Program Management Objectives

1. Annually, majority of Angaur residents attend community meetings and have access to program information and as a means by which to provide input to the program.
2. Develop strategic alliances with key State , National, and international partners that can help advance the goals of this plan by 2020.
3. Develop and implement transparent and effective management operational procedures with measurable indicators that will be developed for the program by the end of 2019.
4. Develop and implement a monitoring and evaluation program that measures the effectiveness of the management activities and enables adaptive management by 2020.

• Financing Goal: The Management of the Iuaiu Marine Protected Area will be financially independent and sustainable by 2024.

Financing Objectives

1. On an annual basis, the Governor and staff are able to raise the needed financial support to operate and manage the Iuaiu Marine Protected Area.
2. The Angaur Protected Areas Network Program has developed and practiced clear financial policies and procedures by the end of 2019.
3. The Angaur Protected Areas Network Program continues to access State and National sources of funding for the operation of the Iuaiu Marine Protected Area.
4. By 2021, the Angaur Protected Areas Network Office has developed income generation activities for the community.
5. By 2021, the Angaur Protected Areas Network Office has explored options for establishing a reserve and endowment fund.

• Enforcement and Compliance Goal: To ensure 100% compliance of Iuaiu Marine Protected Area from Infractions of laws and regulations.

Enforcement and Compliance Objectives

1. Continually maintain an enforcement program that ensures all illegal activities in the Iuaiu Marine Protected Area are intercepted as quickly as possible.
2. Ensure 100% compliance of regulations by visitors to Iuaiu Marine Protected Area.
3. Improve officer and visitor safety by ensuring regular safety trainings, and emergency plans are in place with adequate equipment and maintenance.                

• Education and Awareness Goal: The Angaur community, stakeholders, and supporters are familiar with and supportive of the goals and objective  of  the  Iuaiu  Marine Protected Area and its Management.

Education and Awareness Objectives:

1. All Angaur citizens have an opportunity to visit and learn about Iuaiu Marine Protected  Area  at least once every year.
2. Ensure that majority of the Angaur residents, community members, users, and supporters have received information on the Iuaiu Marine Protected Area program at least twice annually.
3. Ensure that all visitors to the area are made aware of the fragility of the ecosystem and regulations of the area through awareness materials and/or presentations, annually.
4. Ensure State  and  National  leaders  are  aware  of  the  management  progress  of  the  Iuaiu  Marine Protected Area.

• Expanding Resource Management Efforts: Beginning with the Iuaiu Marine Protected Area,  resource  management  efforts  for  sustainability,  food  security,  and   resilience  to the impacts of invasive species and climate change will continue to expand.

Expanding Resource Management Efforts Objective

1. Increase populations of key species and improve ecosystem health by establishing marine and terrestrial management areas that are sufficiently large, representative, and resilient by 2024.

*Dates (year) mentioned above may have changed due to unforeseeable reasons.

Resources: Angaur Management Plan 2020-2024