This month we were invited for a few meetings by the chairmen of the Beach Management Units (BMU) overseeing the fishing and watersport activities like glass bottom boat and dolphin tours. There are three BMU's active in the marine reserve at Diani Beach covering three areas; 1. Kongo river to Tradewinds 2. Tradewinds to Galu and 3. Galu to Chale. The first two BMU's are most relevant to us, since our pilot project is located in front of Swahili Beach resort and most of the diving activities take place here. During the meetings we exchanged our findings on the status of the marine reserve and we exchanged our ideas to improve ongoing activities for a better sustainability of the reef.
All the BMU members who attended the meetings showed to be very positive about our coral reef restoration efforts and we were happily surprised to hear they wanted to learn more and how they could support us in making the pilot project a success. A healthy reef is not only beneficial for the marine life, but also for the fishermen who are depending on them and the tourists who come to snorkel and dive in Diani. We aim for successive meetings at the start of New Year to making plans on how to collaborate for the long term to save our reefs.