Update of first semester of 2019

This is Kiluan Bay (Lampung, Sumatra). Gorgeous beyond words...

Justin my new friend kindly advised me to update my blog (“cos it’s awesome!”), so I blushingly agreed. Thank you for the reminder!

So here it is: I’ve been updating a subject on policy analysis at the James Cook University to be taken to masters level for next semester. (“oh, you do policy, Icha?” Apparently, I do… particularly when you think that environmental issues are not going to solve themselves without proper policies in place!).

In March, CETASI (Cetacean Sirenian Indonesia) received some funding from the Conservation Strategy Fund (thank you, CSF!) for conducting an economic study of dolphin watching in Kiluan (Lampung, Sumatra). The project is titled “Dolphin-watching tourism as an alternative or supplemental livelihood to marginalised artisanal fishers in Indonesia". This project will explore whether dolphin-watching tourism can generate direct or indirect employment that provides a sustainable income equal or superior to a fisheries income. The CSF grant established myself as one of the 2019-2020 Indonesia Marine Fellows of the Conservation Strategy Fund.



The data collection will begin on the first week of July 2019, fingers crossed. (note to self: ethics approval please, Icha…). Then JCU contributed some funding that enables us to add the social element to the study i.e.  whether the dolphin watching tourism empowers the local communities (particularly fishers) in Kiluan.

So yeah, wanna go to Kiluan with us?

On the paper front… Muhammad Iqbal Herwata Putra and I are currently revising two papers on the habitat suitability of the marine megafauna in Solor. Elena Wonneberger, Karim Erzini, Nuralim Pasisingi and myself are revising Elena’s bycatch paper. Achmad Sahri, Tinka Murk and myself are getting ready to submit our paper on the marine mammal policy in Indonesia (see… that term “policy” again…). I still need to work on the economics of shark tourism (I’m doing it, I am…) and the Lovina souvenir seller (ditto).

Then on 8-10 June, I’m in Tokyo for a cetacean stranding conference organised by the National Museum of Nature and Science (that’s the one in the picturesque Ueno). We are going to update our data from the Whale Stranding Indonesia. I’m actually going to be in Japan for a holiday anyway (which involves watching a Hamlet play, no less!), so it’s a very nice pat on the back from the Universe that I’m also doing something marine mammal-related in Tokyo. The Museum pays for my domestic transportation costs and accommodation while I’m in Ueno, so I’m very grateful for that.

Okay, that’s about it… I need to get back to the shark paper because we’re that close to submitting. I’ll be back with some report of the Ueno conference etc! Until then, take care and stay healthy and happy!