Tourism Authority of Kiribati (TAK) in collaboration with the Marine Division and the Kiribati Red Cross Society undertook tourism operator training in Maiana, from 20 – 24th April 2020
The Training was part of the TAK capacity building development program to support the game fishing initiatives, to establish an ecotourism venture on the island.
Maiana island is one of the pilot islands, under the LDCF-I project, aimed to develop a game fishing market for the island. Ultimately the project aims to help generate income from the coastal zone resources sustainably, and also motivate the locals to practice coastal fisheries conservation.
The specific areas of training included boat safety, first aid, pastry/baking and tour guiding. This activity should guarantee that: the people of Maiana are well prepared when the whole island is eventually opened up to international markets for fly-fishing games; as communities organize their tour activities and programs.
In addition, the training had also encouraged the community members in Maiana to actively engage in reviving any food conservation methods, as well as valuing their culture, land and marine environments, as means to build resilience under climate change conditions and improve visitor experiences.
The boat safety and first aid training were particularly relevant to the game fishing market as there were focused on equipping participants with any immediate and required services to anglers should they encounter any problem at sea.
68 participants attended the four training sessions which were all run at the same time and 57 % of the attendees were women and 43% were men.
The week concluded with a closing ceremony and the awarding of certificates to all participants and the handing over of the speed boat to the Maiana Island Council from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources Development.
Mayor and the Leader of the Elders Association (Te Bau Ni Maiana) on the island, applauded the successful completion of the training. with
