Coral reefs are in a crisis due to climate change, overfishing, and pollution. Organizations like Corals for Conservation bring practical solutions to keeping coral reefs alive while supporting the communities that rely on them. One of its projects, which received funding from the DRI Foundation, connected its three C’s: coral, community, and chickens.
Corals for Conservation’s mission focuses on three key areas: building bleaching-resistant super coral gardens, partnering with resorts to adopt sustainable strategies that preserve and protect their reefs, and involving the community in managing their marine protected areas.
The organization launched the Happy Chickens project based on success with helping reef-dependent communities set up no-fishing zones within locally managed marine areas, with the first such areas established in 1999 in Cuvu District and now spreading to over 300 communities all around Fiji.
“By setting aside so much of their fishing grounds, indigenous communities had made a big sacrifice, but in many areas overfishing was severe and the reefs were not providing enough to feed families,” says Corals for Conservation founder Dr. Austin Bowden-Kerby. “Both a reduction in overfishing, plus an alternative food source, needed to be found. Although the 50,000 chicks hatched and distributed so far from our Happy Chicken program is only a drop in the bucket, the chickens are breeding in the villages, and since we introduced the mini-hatchery program, distributing over 70 small incubators, the chicks are becoming more available, providing a more reliable source of protein and livelihoods, with the free-range village chicken projects mainly carried out by village women.”
The DRI Foundation is proud to provide support and vital financial assistance to such nonprofit organizations to aid their missions in communities where they are needed. Click here to learn more about how you can help.