2.5.19 - ydccf report the taimen fundtaimenfund.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/2.5.19... ·...

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YELLOW DOG COMMUNITY AND CONSERVATION FOUNDATION REPORT

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Yellow Dog Community and Conservation Foundation Report

In March of 2018 Yellow Dog Community and Conservation Foundation (YDCCF) awarded The Taimen Fund (TTF) a $4,000 grant to be put towards the RiverKeepers Program in the Eg watershed, Hovsgol Province, Mongolia. The annual budget of the RiverKeepers Program is $30,000 and YDCCF contributed a significant amount to help the efforts there.

The RiverKeepers Program is primarily an anti-poaching effort conducted in coordination with local herders and law enforcement throughout the Eg River watershed, including significant portions of the Eg, Uur, Ider, Chuluut, Delgermurun and Selenge rivers. In addition to the day in and day out efforts of the herders, the RiverKeepers Program also participates in community outreach events, river cleanups and conducting polls pertaining to watershed health.

There are thirteen RiverKeeperss that collaborate with local law enforcement to curb poaching in 8 soums (villages) throughout the Eg watershed. The RiverKeeperss work closely with Program Manager, Mr. Bayaraa Bayaraasaikhan who is based seasonally in either Ulaanbaatar or Teshig. Mr. Bayaraasaikhan coordinates patrols, reporting, joint efforts with law enforcement and outreach events.

Program Manager- Mr. Bayaraasaikhan

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RiverKeeperss № Soum’s name Name Phone number Responsible areas

1 Teshig, Bulgan Nyamsuren 99551853 Main

2 Teshig, Bulgan Otgonbaatar 91881711 bridge

3 Teshig, Bulgan Delgerchuluun 96640433 Emt camp

4 Teshig, Bulgan Lhagvajav 94269136 Ar tarhi’s camp

5 Erdenebulgan, Huvsgul

Zagdhorol 98833006 Corner of Tarvagatai


Batchuluun Tusgalt


Puntsagdash 98708023 Below Burgaltai’s river


Buriad 98195277 Above Zur Huzuu

9 Hutag- Undur, Bulgan

Altangerel 80404844 Research camp to Eg- Selenge

10 Hutag- Undur, Bulgan

Narantsogt 89395554 Hantai

11 89395554 Ganbold 89500560 Research camp

12 Tsagaan- Uur, Huvsgul

Battulga 95387538 Above center of soum (Beginning of Huh river)

13 Tsagaan- Uur, Huvsgul

Ganbaatar 98173656 Senjit stone-Uilgan river

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RiverKeepers Distribution

• Eg River- Erdenebulgan Soum

• Lower Eg River- Teshig Soum

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• Uur River- Tsagaan-Uur Soum

RiverKeeperss on Patrol Communication Upgrades 2018

• 3G • Phones with Cameras • Power Banks

In 2018 the RiverKeeperss were given mobile phones with a camera and a power bank for remote charging. The addition of these tools in combination with the new 3G access in the region has proven to be a beneficial tool in the field allowing RiverKeeperss t0 deliver verification of a violation in real time.

Reporting

Due to the unusually high water in June, July and August the RiverKeeperss had fewer interactions with violators than in recent years. In addition, the consistent patrolling presence at the region’s bridges in September and October greatly diminished the amount of illegal fishing traffic in the region.

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Statistical Breakdown

Of the 62 reported patrols the RiverKeeperss logged 1900km of patrols by horseback, boat and jeep. In reality the distance is far greater due to under-reporting and regular travel while herding. Throughout their reporting the RiverKeeperss found 122 individuals fishing unlicensed. In addition, they confiscated nets, rods, reels, illegally caught fish and 5 rafts.

http://taimenfund.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Taimen-Conservation-Fund-2018-rep-eng.pdf (full results of Taimen Conservation Fund’s RiverKeeperss 2018)

The RiverKeeperss also issued many warnings to dozens of individuals informing them to purchase a license and explained to them the fishing laws and regulations.

Image above – from Mongolian social media, gear and fish confiscated by the aimag’s police in the Altan Mountains, following a RiverKeepers interaction with illegal anglers – the spread of such news greatly compounds the work our RiverKeeperss do – the word is out!

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Image (L) – fishing spears confiscated by RiverKeeperss near Salaa, Image (R) – Russian boats without permits confiscated by RiverKeeperss and local authorities on the Tavt (RiverKeeperss’ photo credit)

Fines

The RiverKeeperss in conjunction with local law enforcement were responsible for issuing citations that totaled 4,548,000 Tugriks ($1,750US) that will be added to state fund. There is still working on a criminal case in which an additional 1,500,000 ($575) Tugriks may be added to the state fund.

Image (L) – adults react to fines and the confiscation of illegal fishing gear, Image (R) – high school students on the Uur near Hovsgol get a lecture on Mongolia’s fishing regulations but were not fined – hopefully they’ve learned a valuable lesson. (RiverKeeperss’ photo credit)

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Outreach and Education

A key component to the success of the RiverKeepers Program is the its outreach and education component. In 2018 the program put up educational posters that explained the laws for fishing in five soums and near two bridges.

The RiverKeepers program and Mr. Bayaraasaikhan have been very active in promoting catch and release and examples of illegal fishing through social media. In addition he held a citizens event in Erdenebulgan where he discussed the issues around poaching and the benefits of legal angling. With the spread of 3G in Mongolia and the rise in ubiquity of social media there, both positive messages supporting conservation as well news of the laws and violations of said have exponentially spread the core values of The Taimen Fund and TF RiverKeeperss in the Eg watershed.

River CleanUp

As around the world, the spread of non-biodegradable waste has risen dramatically over the last few years in the Eg watershed. Our conservation partners in Mongolia, TCF, floated the Eg from Alag to Erdenebulgan in May-June after high-water mostly subsided. In addition to nets and spears (both prohibited by Mongolian law), the team found that “all the rivers were trapped in paper bags, sacks, especially cans and plastic bags in the riverbanks and river basins”, be-spoiling what should be a pristine watershed.

Whether the garbage is coming from those using the watershed (herders) or those in population centers along the watershed, this is clearly a growing problem in Mongolia.

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A quick query of those in the Delger Murun watershed suggest this a national problem for all Mongolian taimen rivers.

It also represents an additional area in which to focus resources and, as a start, TCF plans to engage with other conservation organizations and local citizens to organize a river cleanup and informational session in the Eg, spring 2019.

Polling Results

TTF’s RiverKeepers funding was also responsible for surveying conducted throughout the course of the Baikal Headwaters Expedition, led by author/scientist/adventurer Peter Fong. Peter and his team, including longtime TTF partner, Conservation Geneticist and UNR PhD candidate Lanie Galland, began on August 12 when they summited the largest mountain in the region and descended down to the first braid of water forming the Delger Murun. They then proceeded to follow the Delger Murun in its entirety to the Selenge River and all the way into Russia, where Peter successfully reached Lake Baikal on October 10th.

Throughout the expedition, Peter and his team collected water and invertebrate samples and fin clips from taimen and lenok. On behalf of TTF, the expedition conducted surveys in villages throughout the watershed. The surveys covered questions pertaining to watershed health, environmental education and general awareness of aimag (administrative area) and national fishing regulations.

The survey data has been processed and preliminary results have been assessed. Over the next few months the data will be further analyzed by G.S. Strategy Group in Boise, Idaho to further interpret the data. The results will then be used to help guide TTF’s work in current and future programs, including a planned 2019 deployment of an award-winning middle school science curriculum developed in Livingston to schools in the Delger Murun watershed as well as the RiverKeeperss program in the Delger in 2019.

In addition to the survey questions, three additional data points were gathered including, age, sex and occupation of those surveyed. While tabulating the data there are some inconsistencies in the numbers of answers per question. What was found is that some that were surveyed marked answers multiple times or did not answer some questions. At this time those answers were not included in the data set.

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The survey itself was written in Mongolian (translated with the help of TTF partners at the Taimen Conservation Fund in UB) to make it as simple as possible for Peter and his team to conduct. Each question is rated from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). In this report we will present those questions out of the 19 asked that had an obvious consensus from those surveyed. Below are examples of questions that had a consensus of 49% or more: strongly agreeing with the question or phrase:

• Local people are aware of erosion and river silting from overgrazing. 49%

• Pollution is a threat to water systems health. 58%

• Mining is a threat to the water system. 67.5%

• Human waste and trash are threats to water system health. 65%

• Local people depend on a healthy water system as a safe drinking water. 50%

• Local people depend on a healthy water system as a source of food. 57%

http://taimenfund.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/2.5.19-TTF-Lake-Baikal-Survey-Results.pdf(full results of Lake Baikal Headwaters Survey Results)

Conclusion

Funding from the Yellow Dog Community and Conservation Foundation supported an extensive network of anti-poaching efforts through the Eg-Uur watershed of Mongolia and an increase of awareness of the country’s fishing regulations both on the water and within the communities of the watershed. Fines were collected and illegal gear confiscated, warnings were issued and the community of the Eg-Uur watershed has a wider understanding of the value of legally fishing for both taimen and lenok.

An already-successful anti-poaching and awareness campaign was further refined and the lessons learned will be implemented when The Taimen Fund brings the RiverKeepers Program to other watersheds, including the Delger Murun in the coming season. Coupled with the information learned via the Lake Baikal survey data, the RiverKeepers Program is now better able to tailor our efforts to best promote the nation’s fishing regulations via both awareness of the law and fines and confiscations of those in violation.

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