An area of the beachside reef had been subject to scientific study over a number of years. This research not only documented the dramatic declines in fish stocks that prompted the formation of the KCWA, it also pinpointed the most critical areas for fish breeding. After in-depth consultation, in 2006 the KCWA voted to close off a 30-hectare area of the reef as a marine protected area, where no fishing would be allowed.
The rejuvenation of fish stocks in the area was visible within about 18-months and the fishermen’s catches tangibly increased in the surrounding areas. Along with the bigger catches, the area started to attract snorkelers and visitors keen to see the biodiversity within the marine conservancy.
Ten years on and there is a modest but steady stream of visitors who are happy to pay to snorkel within the conservancy. The fishermen have started to see that there is potentially more money to be made from showing the fish to visitors than from catching them. The recovery of the fish stocks has been dramatic. The coral is flourishing. One of the attractions of the area is the plethora of species that are thriving in the conservation area where shoals of multi-coloured fish, large and small, cloud around the rejuvenating coral heads.
Fishermen line up on the boundaries of the marine protected area to reap the rewards of the inevitable overspill; catching larger fish in higher quantities.