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JICA Volunteers in Palau

◆Alii from Palau!

Koji Hina
JICA Volunteer
Bureau of Marine Resources

　　　Since my arrival in Palau in January, the past 10 months have flown by very quickly.

(Going out on water for research)

　　　I am working as a volunteer for the Palau Vulnerable Marine Species Conservation Program (VMSP) under the Bureau of Marine Resources (BMR). My office is located by the sea with great view and the sea breeze is very comfortable. At times, I can see amazing sceneries like the rain clouds running on the surface of the blue clear ocean.

　　　In the BMR, there are four branches; Fisheries Development Branch, Fisheries Management Branch, Aquaculture and Mariculture Branch, and VMSP, where I belong to. VMSP is working towards the enhancement of protection and management of the critical habitats of sea turtles, dugongs and crocodiles, which are vulnerable species in Palau.

When I hear a sea turtle caught in the east, I will measure and tag the turtle for release,
When I hear a crocodile found in the west, I will bring a rope to catch it,
When I hear a dugong was seen in the south, I will go and search in my kayak,
When I hear people are gathering in the north, I will go and lecture…
This is how I want to work in BMR.
(*These fraises are based on a famous Japanese poem by Kenji Miyazawa, ‘Ame nimo makezu (Unbeaten by the rain)’.

　(Setting up a crocodile trap)

　　　I am currently home-staying with a Palauan family. My daily schedule is getting up at 7 a.m. and then leave for work at 7:45 on my bicycle. My Palauan colleagues share their lunch with me, sometimes a canned fish or ‘Nitsuke’, a Japanese-style broiled fish which became a Palauan dish. Sometimes I contribute by cooking stew or curry rice. I return home around 5:30 p.m. In the evening, I usually play hanafuda with my family while talking about local news and rumors, go to the laundromat, or play tennis. Sometimes I play chess with my host-brother. In Japan, there is a chess-like game called Shogi. I introduced shogi to my brother and he was very interested so I had a game kit sent from Japan. Now my host-brother is strong at both chess and shogi!

(My colleagues at BMR)

　　On Sundays, I play tennis with the junior Palau national tennis representative. I envy her quick improvement of techniques! She may become one of the world’s top-ranking tennis players, so I’m thinking of getting her autograph soon…

　　Environmental protection and wild animal protection is still a field under development, even in Japan. The problems we have are not the same in Japan and Palau, but I am working to utilize my experience and expertise from Japan in Palau to contribute to the protection of Palau’s beautiful nature and animals.