A team from PERSGA SEM Project PCU, the Red Sea State Ministry of tourism, Wildlife Administration, and an international consultant travelled to Dungonab Bay and Mukkawar Island National Park during the period January 23rd to 25th 2016. and undertook community consultations, key informant interviews and participatory mapping with the mayor, and local fisher communities in Dungonab and Mohammed Qol. At the end of these sessions the communities from both villages were shown the zoning map from 2004 prepared as part of the PERSGA MPA-SAP. After the field visit to DMNP, the SEM MPA Consultant and PERSGA-MPA coordinator held a meeting with Marine Fisheries Administration (MFA) in Port Sudan. The meeting provided the opportunity to discuss the outcomes of the consultation with the local community in DMNP and their willingness to consider closing the Najil spawning areas on condition that other fishers were also excluded. During the final meeting with MFA in January2016 the SEM MPA Consultant explained that the SEM project would like to undertake a more detailed scientific study to determine the status of the Najil spawning aggregations in DMNP so as to identify the best management options.
The mission was concluded by a One-day National workshop on January 27th 2016 to discuss the MPA governance process for the demonstration site in Sudan. During this workshop the proposed zoning scheme for use in DMNP was presented to national stakeholders at the workshop. About 22 participants were attended the workshop representing many different MPA stakeholders.
