The
Blue Forests: Protecting Biodiversity through Sustainable
Farming of Reef Corals aims to pilot community based coral
culture techniques for reef restoration and potentially
the aquarium market. This work is nested in establishment
of community based management areas (CBMAs). The project
commenced in July 2003 and is due for completion in December
2005.
 Three
experimental coral farm sites have been established in Moturiki,
Fiji and research has started to study appropriate community
methods for coral culture. The technique being trailed involves
collecting/ growing of “mother” corals from which fragments
are broken off and “planted” in a degraded spot of reef
either on tables or lines and “grown” until they are big
enough for sale.
 Seven
communities on the island of Moturiki have developed community
based management plans, established three no take areas,
have received training in baseline monitoring, and built
the capacity of the fish warden network on the island.
In
the Solomon Islands a pilot restoration site has been established
in Langa Langa Lagoon. The work at this site is focusing
on developing existing restoration techniques, and possible
beneficial or negative environmental impacts in the restoration
sites. Community based management processes initiated in
Langa Langa Lagoon under the ICRAN Solomon Islands Coral
Gardens Initiative are also being partially supported by
the Darwin Blue Forests Project.
 This
project has been grant aided by the Darwin Initiative through
funding from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural
Affairs of the United Kingdom and managed by our affiliate
Just World Partners.
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