Rangers of the sea

The Sustainable Coastal Tourism in Asia project is training a new breed of marine guards to care for our aquatic wealth

HIKKADUWA – The morning sun beat down, yet the eight men didn’t seem to feel the heat. Anticipation flickered across their faces as they gathered their masks and fins and waded across the shallow water into boats for their first experience of skin diving. Speeding out to sea, past the tourists and the fishing boats, the excitement was palpable.

For some of the rangers with the Department of Wildlife Conservation, this training was a new experience, and for others, an overdue refresher. Most rangers serve in inland wildlife sanctuaries and protected areas across the island; far too few have experience and training to work along the coastline and in the ocean to protect the country’s precious maritime ecosystems.

Through the Sustainable Coastal Tourism in Asia – Sri Lanka (SCOTIA/SL) programme, however, more government rangers are being trained in snorkelling techniques and marine life identification. SCOTIA/SL is supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by the Louis Berger Group.

“These workshops are essential for rangers like us to protect marine sanctuaries,” said A. Jayawardene, an eight-year veteran of the Department, who is currently posted at the Pigeon Island Sanctuary in Trincomalee. “What I learn here will not only help me in my day-to-day duties, but also with research I am conducting on marine life species in the Pigeon Island region.”

After the dive, Jayawardene was still shaking his head about being several metres underwater for the first time. “It’s a whole other world down there.”

Safeguarding the natural resource base on which coastal ecosystems and surrounding communities depend will improve coastal tourism and develop new livelihoods in coastal communities. The project aims to improve coastal resource management by improving the capacity of the Department of Wildlife Conservation. At present, none of the rangers are assigned full time to coastal zones.

“The practical knowledge from this training fills an important gap for us,” said Ajith Gunatunge, who has been with the Department for nine years. “Rather than just enforcing the law, we now understand the need to educate these communities on the importance of protecting the environment.”

As the afternoon sun began to sink, the skipper of a glass-bottomed tourist boat filled with foreign tourists needled the small vessel through a group of bathers in the water, then sped close to the reef in pursuit of a turtle. He stopped, reversed, and negotiated a 90-degree turn to give his clients a few more seconds to view the frightened animal.

“People who work on the ocean need to learn that if they don’t conserve their marine ecosystems now, they might not be there for them in a few years,” Gunatunge said. “Respecting safety is also a big part of keeping their tourism-related businesses viable.”

For the rangers, there is a big difference between managing inland areas and the coast. In addition to the need for skills in snorkelling and marine life identification, rangers must deal with communities that have lived and worked along the shore for generations. While it is easier to restrict use of a wildlife refuge on land, protecting marine ecosystems presents a formidable challenge; fishermen, hoteliers, and boat operators depend on exploiting the sea to some degree to earn their living. Disputes often arise when authorities attempt to explain the environmental impact of some of their everyday activities.

To that end, SCOTIA-SL is organising a workshop on conflict resolution to better equip the rangers with skills in diplomacy and negotiation for improved relations with the communities who live and work and depend on coastal resources.

“This is the first time that I have been part of a programme where practical sessions and theory have been so effectively combined,” said Mishan Kariyawasam of the Department’s Hikkaduwa office. “Without proper identification of species, authorities too often get hoodwinked by traders of marine resources who may remove species of aquatic wildlife that need to be protected.”
Arjan Rajasooriya, SCOTIA/SL’s Coastal Zone Management Specialist who coordinates this training programme, said he saw tremendous improvement from some of the less experienced trainees.

“Some could barely swim at the start, but today they were all diving in the deep sea,” he said. “They are all still improving, and on the way to understanding key concepts like personal safety, safety of your colleagues, dangerous sea creatures, and an understanding of marine habitats and living patterns.”

SCOTIA/SL Team leader Prakash Peiris said that the decision to train these rangers gives the department an important degree of flexibility when rotating staff, and anticipates a day when knowledge of marine ecosystems is standard for the rangers.