Upcoming Challenges, Constraints, and Opportunities

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V. Contacts with USAID Missions

Tanzania The SUCCESS sites in Zanzibar were visited by the ENV SO team during the meeting held in July, 2006. Later, Crawford and Torell met with Dennis Cengel and Gilbert Kajuna at the US Embassy in Dar es Salaam in September 2006 and November 2006 respectively, to provide progress reports on SUCCESS activities including those related to economic activities and analyses, which the Mission is very interested in seeing once complete. Edwin Requintina also briefed the Mission on progress concerning milkfish farming pilot activities and potential. Also, TCMP represents and reports on SUCCESS activities during ENV SO meetings held quarterly by the Tanzania Mission along with work funded directly by the Mission. The SUCCESS coordinator at WIOMSA is invited and attends periodic meetings conducted by TCMP to ensure Program activities are fully coordinated. Nicaragua Steve Olive: A meeting was held to discuss alternative livelihoods with Dr. Olive and to discuss the issues associated with the lack of collaboration from SELVA, the NGO responsible for management of the Padre Ramos Protected Area, which has impeded work with cockle management and research in the area. Dr. Olive discussed his willingness to work on this issue with CIDEA. Steve Fondriest: Dr. Fondriest was contacted to obtain contact numbers for Dr. Jerry Bouer, who is with the U.S. Forest Service and stationed in Puerto Rica to request assistance in conducting a study of the bird species found in Padre Ramos Estuary in support of the ecotourism efforts. Dr. Fondriest is planning to visit Puerto Morazan in December to observe the tilapia culture project. Maira Vargas Roa-Fulbright Program: Communication has been maintained to understand the application process and to submit an application for Dr. Jurij Homziak of the University of Vermont. Dr. Homziak wishes to work with CIDEA to develop an extension program in Coastal Management for the Pacific Coast and for institutional strengthening. Peace Corps: Communication has been maintained with Georgia Narcisso, who visited Puerto Morazan, met with the high school principal and had follow-up meeting with volunteers Mike Millar and Kelly Broach who are coordinating with CIDEA. Ecuador Emilio Ochoa and Maria Haws met with Rocio Cedeno in October 2006, when she visited Guayaquil. Cedeno was updated on the SUCCESS Ecuador progress and issues around the transition of Emilio Ochoa as director of EcoCostas and lead for the SUCCESS Program. The visit included discussion of fundraising for the passion fruit and cacao work, as well as the concerns of stakeholders in the area about problems related to transporting products such as chame and fruit to nearby larger markets and post-harvest issues such as obtaining sanitation permits to process products. Cedeno advised she would investigate whether USAID had funding to address these issues andor whether other USAID projects working on these topics might be able to help. EcoCostas staff then prepared a proposal which was submitted to USAID. 72 Thailand In September, Amrit Bart, Chief of Party CoP and Dr. Tobey, CRC project manager met with the Regional Bureau in September to provide an update on the Sustainable Coastal Livelihoods program. In October, there were several interactions with the Bureau. This included a visit by CRC’s director, Stephen Olsen; attendance by the CoP at the Mission’s PMP meeting with environment program partners; and a field site visit by Winston Bowman, the project’s cognizant technical officer CTO and Richard Volk USAID Washington for the mid-term evaluation of the project. In early November there was another field site visit by the CTO, Mark Ward USAIDW, and Richard Whelden Acting Mission Director. Meanwhile, in December, Winston Bowman again traveled with the CoP to Sri Lanka to prepare for regional study tours.