The increasing number of people harvesting palolo annually in Samoa’s coastal waters could contribute to coral reef damage and needs to be better managed, says a Government official.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Assistant C.E.O. Seumalo Afele Faiilagi told the Samoa Observer in a recent interview that the impact of the palolo season harvesting frenzy on coral reefs warrants attention.

He said the Ministries of Agriculture and Fisheries and Natural Resource and Environment had the mandate to ensure the country’s marine resources are sustainability used and managed.

The M.N.R.E. has already visited a coral reef site at Matautu Lefaga, according to Seumalo, and there is also interest from the Return to Paradise Resort and the Matareva Beach Fales to undertake reef inspection and restoration.

“Tourism operator and owner of Matareva, who is also a matai at Matautu expressed interest for the Ministry to look into Matareva coral reef area when we visited Matautu to attend to the preliminary coral reef assessment,” said Seumalo.

The M.A.F. Principal Fisheries Officer, Su’a Sapeti, told this newspaper her Ministry is currently running awareness programs – through community consultations and workshops – on managing and protecting marine and fisheries resources including coral, fish species, invertebrates and seaweeds through its management program.

One environmentally-friendly method they are teaching coastal communities is how to catch palolo without damaging the reef system.

As for the better way to catch palolo, each person or catcher has his or her own preference of catching palolo – either by boat (canoe) or by walking towards the rising sites,” said Su’a.

“However, the general public has been advised to be mindful of the corals when they are walking and abide by the village rules as each village (particularly the palolo rising sites) has their own protocols when it comes to palolo season.”

Matareva Beach Fales co-owner, Fiau’u Faletoese, said during the last palolo season people went to her village to harvest the silky ocean worms and the health of the reef was a concern for them.

And while there is no village ban on catching palolo in Matareva,  Fiau’u said most of the harvesters who went were from the village, so they were aware of which areas to go to as the village has strict conservation and marine-protected practises.

Tavita Faletoese, a co-owner of the Matareva Beach Fales who used to work for an N.G.O as a marine resources officer, is currently working on transplanting coral so they have a coral garden in their marine protected area. 

“We have been conducting training for over 25 youth and some of our local fishermen with people from S.P.R.E.P and F.A.O.,” said Mrs Faletoese. 

She said their passion to create coral gardens also imparts knowledge on the protection of coral from being walked over and damaged during the palolo season.

“We are trying to teach our community to change the practice by using boats for catching palolo, luckily or marine protected area imposes strictly no fishing rules, so my husband uses the kayaks to catch palolo.

“There is no funding to enhance the program as we do it out of our own pocket but we are hoping for assistance from discussions already made with S.P.R.E.P adviser Dr Peter Davies and the M.N.R.E.”