CSI on Coral Reefs

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CSI on Coral Reefs
CRIME SCENE DO NOT CROSS CRIME SCENE DO NOT
A Developing International Program to Assist
Natural Resource Trustees and Enforcement
Dave Gulko Lead, ICRI Committee on Coral Reef
Enforcement Investigation
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The Problem
The Problem
1). For a wide variety of coral reef impact
incidents, the people most likely to respond have
no formal training or tools for conducting
legally-defensible investigations
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Working Sub-Group

• Coral Reef Resource Managers
• Ex-homicide Detective CSI Advisor
• Wildlife Forensic Laboratory
• ERA Specialists
• Coral Reef Restoration Specialists
• Coral Reef Enforcement Specialists
• Coral Reef Ecotoxicologists

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Who Are We Talking About

• Marine Enforcement Officers
• Environmental Assessment Specialists
• Litigators
• Natural Resource Managers Biologists
• Coral Reef Researchers

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What Are We Talking About

• Basic Investigation Training Strategies
• Handling of Data as Evidence
• Providing Ecological Resource Impact Analysis
  to Support Prosecution

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Basic Assumptions of CR Investigations

• Going to Court
• Limitations Time, Scale, Resources
• Ecological Complexity
• Remoteness of Operation

Usually its not this easy
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HomicideThe CSI Approach

• Science driven by legal needs
• Strong burden on documentation
• Strong burden on Chain-of-Custody

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HomicideThe CSI Approach

• Existing International Acceptance
• But how do you translate terrestrial techniques
  to an underwater world?

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Wide Range of Applications Vessel Groundings
Destructive Fishing Illegal Fishing Illegal
Trade Oil, Chemical, Sediment Spills
Pollution Events Other Injury Events
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Draft Toolkit

• Cookbook Approach
• High Low Tech
• Translatable

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Draft Toolkit

• Cookbook Approach
• High Low Tech
• Translatable

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Toolkit

• 276 pages (Sections A, B, D E) - Finished
• 8.5 x 11, full color, full bleed, two-sided
• Notebook Style, Expandable
• Spanish Version - Feb. 08
• Section C ( Advanced Tools) - Future

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Field Flipbook

• Durable Compact
• Outline Form
• Color-Coded

Reference CD
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CSI Field Kit

• Most Items Can Be Self Made
• High Low Tech
• Portable, Self-Contained

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Field Training Workshops
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CAFTA Workshop

• Site Punta Cana, DR
• Focal Countries DR, Honduras, Costa Rica
• Regional Coord Ruben Torres
• 11/15 Participants, 2 Regional Instr.
• 3 CSI Instr. , 3 Observers
• April 16 - 21, 2008

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Sample Workshop Schedule
Daily Lectures/Demos
Injury/Crime Scene Investigative Dives
Dry Field Runs
Mock Trial
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The Regional Workshop Approach
Experienced CR CSI Instructors Asst CR CSI
Instructors from Region Regional Participants
Multi-country, Multi-agency, Multi-discipline
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Committee Goals

• To design a set of draft protocols and techniques
  for investigating short-term events on coral
  reefs.
• To conduct a pilot field training workshop at the
  upcoming ITMEMS, October 2006.
• To use results to produce an international
  toolkit and field CSI kits.
• To translate toolkit into Spanish.
• To conduct regional field training workshops in
  2008 2009.

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Questions?
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• The results of these efforts will be in the short
  term
• The training of key individuals within each
  coral reef country in the international standards
  and protocols developed for conducting defensible
  investigations of marine natural resource impacts
  on coral reefs to determine responsible parties,
  mitigative strategies, and gather evidence for
  decision-making specifically tailored to their
  regional coral reef issues and concerns.

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Over the long term, see increased capacity
within each countrys marine resource management
and enforcement efforts, specifically as it
relates to improved investigative capacity. See
increased success in prosecution, mediation,
mitigation, restoration or litigation. See
greater public compliance and support resulting
from these successes.
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Eventually we expect to see greater regional
multi-country cooperation involving
investigations and rapid response capabilities,
including formation of regional rapid response
teams to deal with large-scale and multi-country
marine natural resource impact investigations.
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How do we differentiate between destructive human
impacts, global climate change, and natural
predation?