PROJECT TITLE: Sri Lanka Tsunami Memorial Reef & Fish Farmers Program

LOCATION: Madiha (Turtle Point), Sri Lanka

PROPOSAL DATE: Project Leaders would like to start the Reef on the one year anniversary of the Tsunami…but are willing to proceed at a later time if funding is not found.

TIMELINE: Start in December and finish before the summer monsoons. Scuba training for the local fishermen has already begun.

PROJECT AIMS. Local fishermen in Sri Lanka have a unique way of fishing from stilts, therefore the project leaders in Madiha wish to erect concrete pilings on the sea floor in 57 feet of water and then pile Reef Balls on top to create a series of spires. They have created a drawing of how they want the space to look including many symbolic things to help the community with closure. Additionally, they want to create a dive site so that local fishermen can be trained as diving guides for a new source of income. The Fish Farmers Program will include surrounding the memorial with hundreds to perhaps thousands of small, uniquely designed, reef ball habitats designed to create sustainable harvest of marine aquarium fish which is the current fishing industry in Madiha. The Fish Farmer program is a program developed by Reef Ball Foundation’s John Walch who is an expert in the marine aquarium industry.

BUDGET: To build 1000+ small sized custom Reef Balls will cost about $65,000. To build the Memorial Wave and fish spawning sites will cost about $75,000 (presuming the Thailand project is already funded due to savings in mold design). To plant corals on the wave will cost another $25,000 mostly in airfare for experts to volunteer their time to come to do the work. Total funds requested $165,000. Note this project can be scaled back and will likely have some (relatively minor) local matching funds.

PROJECT CONTACTS: Todd Barber, Chairman, Reef Ball Foundation reefball@reefball.com Fish Farmer Program: John Walch, john@reefball.com