CSI on Coral Reefs

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CSI on Coral Reefs
CRIME SCENE DO NOT CROSS CRIME SCENE DO NOT
The ICRI Committee on Coral Reef Enforcement and
Investigation
Dave Gulko Lead, ICRI Committee on Coral Reef
Enforcement Investigation
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For A Short-Term Human Impact Event On Coral
Reefs - How Do We Determine Causality
Responsibility?
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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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Vessel Groundings?
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Cruise Ship Impacts?
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MPA Impacts
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Offshore Aquaculture
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Land-based Inputs
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(No Transcript)
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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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Background

• IMPAC October 2005 Geelong, Australia
• The lightbulb goes off

• ICRI Late October 2005 Belau
• A Committee is formed

• USCRTF Early November 2005 Belau
• The US jumps on the bandwagon

• Florida Forensics Workshop January 2006
• Brainstorming and a meeting of minds

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Committee Make-up

• ICRI Secretariat
• US (USAID, NOAA, USFWS)
• Japan
• Australia (GBRMPA)
• England
• Indonesia

• Samoa
• Mexico
• IUCN/CORDIO
• SPC
• Solomon Islands
• Belau
• CBD
• Philippines

Plus an oddball or two like myself.
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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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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 conduct regional field training workshops in
  2007 2008.

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Use of Investigations to Maximize

• Negotiation Restoration
• Mitigation Identification
• Mediation of Responsible
• Litigation Parties (RPs)
• Prosecution

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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
• Getting the Word Out
• Judicial Education

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Basic Assumptions of CR Investigations

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

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Scenario 1 Cause Known, Investigate Effect
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Scenario 2 Effect Known, Investigate Cause
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So what is CSI on Coral Reefs specifically
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The Pre-Assessment
Fuel Alien Spp. Chemicals Physical
Damage Recovery Damage Anchor Damage Rare
Spp. Protected Spp. Fragile or Protected
Habitats
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The Pre-assessment Setting A Impact Scene
Perimeter, An Event Perimeter, Defining
Habitat/Subhabitats
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The Impact Assessment
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The Biological Assessment
Modified REAs Impact Control
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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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How Can One Get Involved?
Red Sea East Africa Indian Subcontinent
Southeast Asia Indonesia/Philippines Australia
South Pacific Islands Central Pacific
Islands Central/South America South Caribbean
Islands Eastern Caribbean Islands Florida
(ICRS 2008)
Potential Regional Training Workshops (2007 -
2009) What are each regions needs concerns?