The Coral Triangle Center (CTC), with the support of USAID SEA Project, conducted a Resource Use Monitoring (RUM) and Community Based Marine and Fisheries Surveillance Group (Pokmaswas) training for Pokmaswas members in the Sula Islands Marine Protected Area (MPA), North Maluku, on 28 August – 1 September 2019. The 20 participants were representatives of Pokmaswas groups in four villages, Waitamela, Fatkauyon, Waisum and Waisakai.

Pokmaswas is a form of community-based surveillance that was created to assist the government, and plays an essential role in conducting marine and fisheries resource surveillance in the field. However, often Pokmaswas do not have the capacity to carry out their important role, such as monitoring and gathering data on marine and fisheries resources. CTC combined and used two existing modules based on the nationally adopted RUM training curriculum, as well as modules developed by CTC, itself, and Stage-1 Pokmaswas training developed by USAID SEA Project. Two of the modules are aligned to ensure Pokmaswas have the capacity to run surveillance activities around their village. It is expected that following the training Pokmaswas can support surveillance and law enforcement within the MPA.

To ensure engagement with the two modules, a variety of learning methods were used, such as presentation, group work, role play, discussion, as well as practical training in the field. By the last three days of the training, most participants were able to identify and analyze how to promote Pokmaswas to local communities, and understand the function and responsibility of Pokmaswas. Additionally, some participants asked for more information about GPS, fundamental MPA knowledge, and how Pokmaswas should respond and report certain cases they find in the field, with specific examples raised of finding fishers catching protected species or using destructive fishing methods. Representatives from PSDKP and DKP North Maluku Province explained to participants how to act in such cases, as well as how to formulate and send a report.