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Tagging turtles for a wedding - Fiji Times Online

Monday, March 03, 2008,KESAIA TABUNAKAWAI

On the dusky evening of Thursday December 27, to the whooshing sounds of many pairs of legs wading through knee high waters, two tagged 75kg green turtles were released into the incoming tide of the mangrove lined bay of Ligaulevu Village on Mali. 

With cries of 'go turtle go','la'o vonu la'o' and 'moce' we watched the pair flap their flippers free as the hands pulling them along let go. My gaze followed their underwater path through the ripples on the water surface, and once, their pointed heads bobbed out of the water, for a moment, to take in air before going forward.

The tag and release of turtles was a wedding day wish for Leone Vokai of Ligaulevu Village on Mali and Sally Bailey of Saint Brides Major of Wales. This was a show of the continuing passion the couple have to the protection of biodiversity, and turtles in particular. In my mind, it is a mark of young people taking action in what they believe in.
"Young Fijians are travelling and learning new things, gaining more appreciation of the beautiful environment of our country. Some like Leone are taking action personally and encouraging his community to do the same," observed a cousin of Leone's.

To an uncle, a sister's son's wish, especially for his wedding is a mission to be accomplished. Forty-two-year-old Ifereimi Daumaka, Leone's uncle, went turtle fishing for a day and caught the turtles on the wide reef flats of Cakaulevu, opposite Mali Island.

It is suspected that this time is the first time in the history of Mali Island, that turtles caught did not end up in the pot.

"The turtles were caught the old fashioned way," remarked a proud Ifereimi.

"The fishermen cruise the reef tops looking. Once spotted, the boat follows the turtle until it is alongside it, then the fishermen dive in to catch the turtle," Ifereimi added. As I watched the wedding preparation unfold, it became obvious to me that this was also a celebration of the connectivity between the people of Mali and their biological resource. The wedding garments came from the bark of the masi tree, of which a plantation grew nearby; the salusalus, from the inner bark of the vau tree, and the many aromatic flowers, fruits and leaves that abound on the island; the mirror like sheen on the bare shoulders of members of the wedding party was scented coconut oil; the layers of finely woven mats in the wedding house and in the church were from kuta (a wetland grass) and voivoi (pandanus leaves), large plantations of which surround the village. The black design on the mats were of pandanus leaves soaked and cooked in black mud with branches of a local swamp plant.

The wedding feast, a variety of fish and shellfish (some of which came all the way from Wales, pickled) was a display of the bounty of the sea around Mali. I did wonder how many of the big fishes on the table grew in the safety of the marine protected areas within the Mali qoliqoli. It is over three years since the elders of the iqoliqoli declared nine sections of the iqoliqoli as marine protected areas, where no fishing is allowed. I am certain that the rules of use of the iqoliqoli set in place in 2004 had something to do with the sizes and volume of sea food enjoyed during the wedding celebration.

The people of the district or tikina Mali along with people of tikina Dreketi, Macuata and Sasa share a common traditional fishing ground. This stretches from Nakalou Village by the mouth of the Dreketi River to Korotubu Village near Labasa and over the waters to Kia and Mali islands.

On neighbouring Kia Island, a female turtle came ashore in 2006 to nest on the beach in front of the school in Ligau, after a long time with no nesting turtles recorded for this beach. In 2007 a second female came onto a beach on the other side of the island.

In June 2007, Ligau villagers committed Ligau beach as a monitoring site. Additionally, Mokanivonu, a sunken patch reef near Nakalou Village is a resting and sleeping area for turtles, according to the villagers.

I saw what I think was disbelief on the faces of some of the villagers when they realised the landed turtles under the mango trees were to be let go back into the sea.

This is understandable, with the time it took to catch and the cost of the fuel used in catching the turtles.
This act and the questions arising in the minds of the Mali islanders, provided the opportunity to talk about the fragility of the lifecycle of the turtle.

A number of Ligaulevu villagers are now wiser to the choice made by the couple to tag and release the turtles.
The number on the tag is given to the Ministry of Fisheries where a database of all turtles tagged in Fiji is kept.
Our Ministry of Fisheries work with SPREP ( South Pacific Environment Program) on tagging turtles. Fishermen catching tagged turtles are asked to inform the Ministry of the tag number and where the turtle was seen or caught. Today, very little is known about the movement of 'Fiji turtles' in Fiji waters.

Collecting information on the sightings of turtles will tell us how far turtles travel around Fiji and even in and around the Pacific. We know from satellite tagging and titanium flipper tagging, that turtles from Samoa, the Cook Islands and even Hawaii travel to Fiji to feed in extensive seagrass fields within inshore waters. The seagrass beds in the fishing areas along the Macuata coast in particular is a popular feeding ground for green and hawksbill turtles.
The endangered Pacific Leatherback turtle, known to nest only in the 'Coral Triangle' countries of PNG, Solomon Islands and in West Papua, was reported to nest on Vatulele, a couple of years ago. In the past 2 years, there have been sightings of this giant of a turtle in Kubulau.

These magnificent turtles are moving into Fiji may be because they have strayed from their normal route.
I would like to think they are moving to Fiji waters because the conditions here are getting more conducive to their cycle of life.

The 'Coral Triangle' is the world's epicenter of marine life abundance and diversity.

The richness of coral, fish and other species is so high that the region is sometimes referred to as the "Amazon of the Seas".

This triangular shaped region covers all or part of the seas of six countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste.

Fiji is part of 'WWFs Coral Triangle Initiative' which also includes the neighboring countries of Australia and Fiji, which contains rich coral biodiversity as well, but with somewhat lower numbers known to science.

Sally is a Marine Program manager with the WWF office in the United Kingdom and Leone is a diver. With both their lives rotating around the ocean they believe in protecting the marine life.

Kesaia Tabunakawai, WWF Fiji country manager was a guest at the wedding.


Tagging turtles for a wedding - Fiji Times Online

A sanctuary for the Hawksbill - Fiji Times Online

Sunday, September 21, 2008
FELIX CHAUDHARY

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Feeding time for turtles at Treasure Island
 

IN the shadows behind the multi-million dollar beach, something priceless is taking place. It involves a special ritual where young visitors to Treasure Island Resort are given a chance to interact with nature.

Steps away from the fringes of the shoreline, this innovative program provides invaluable education to youngsters about the marine life that surrounds the resort especially the uphill battle that resort staff face in protecting the endangered hawksbill turtles.

A battle to protect turtle nests from poachers, neighbouring locals and predators that include domestic animals.
The nests have become a major draw card for the popular holiday venue resulting in eco-tourists and regular returnees visiting the island each year to marvel at the growing number of turtle hatchlings that are bred and released under the resort's conservation program.

"Last week we had 93 hatchlings. We kept 26 for breeding and because of a lack of space we had to release the rest," said Katrina Sefeti, the resident conservation guru.
The Hawksbill turtle is listed as critically endangered by the World Conservation Union and the capture and trade of this marine reptile is banned under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.
This, however, has not stopped overseas poachers who cruise Fiji's tropical waters. Nor has it deterred locals who regard turtle eggs and meat as a delicacy.

The breeding population of Hawksbill turtles in Fiji is approximately 150 and the estimated adult population is between two to three thousand.

The island's approach to the turtles desperate plea for survival is unique in many ways.

"This year we decided to incorporate the turtle conservation program into the 'Kids Club'. It's our way of ensuring that the present and future generation understand the importance of safe-guarding these beautiful creatures before we lose them completely," Ms Sefeti stated.

Turtles have been in existence for hundreds of millions of years and while the conservation effort is focused on saving a dying breed of marine reptile, there is another, often overlooked factor to consider.

As the global turtle population decreases, coral reefs and sea grass beds become unbalanced and in effect marine ecosystems are affected.

It is now a proven fact that coastal communities that sought to create sustainable livelihoods through eco-tourism have collapsed as the turtle numbers in the area decreased.

"It will be a sad day for Fiji and the world if we don't increase our efforts to help the turtle population grow to sustainable numbers. Until this is achieved, I believe that the slaughter of turtles for any purpose should be criminalised," Ms Sefeti added.

The Treasure Island turtle sanctuary has been in operation for seven years now and is never short of visitors, from curious toddlers to nervous retirees, who quietly admire the amphibious reptiles as they glide through the water with grace and exuberance.

"Look but don't touch. That's our motto, we deter everyone from handling them because of the possibility of transferring disease and being out of the water stresses them out," Katrina emphasised.

In recent times the sanctuary has come under scrutiny from critics concerned about the 'inadequate' size of the enclosure.

But Sefeti, the environmentalist, is quick to point out that the least people could recognise and appreciate is the fact that they're being pro-active.

"Granted that the facility is not of international standards, at least we're doing something about a growing global problem, however small and inadequate it may be," she pointedly said.

"This sanctuary gives hundreds of Hawksbills a fighting chance they otherwise would never have."

Hawksbill hatchlings make easy prey as they begin their slow and cumbersome journey from their nests to the sea. Many become food for swooping sea birds and large crabs on land and an easy catch for big fish when they enter the water. The Treasure Island sanctuary could be likened to an incubator.

The turtles are kept in the pond for 18 months until they have a reached a significant enough size to fend for themselves. They are then tagged by the Fisheries Department and released.

"We are planning to make the pool bigger and deeper as soon as possible," Katrina said.

Having a deeper pond will give the turtles more room to move around and will also allow the staff to introduce 'live feeds'.

"This is done by releasing live fish into the pond as food. This will help the turtles learn important survival skills like hunting and catching their prey which they will need when they're released."

The hatchlings are collected from nests that are monitored by staff.

Female turtles journey to shore during the night, deposit their eggs before taking off back to sea before dawn breaks.
One of nature's miracles is that female turtles always journey back to their original birthplace to lay their eggs.

A sanctuary for the Hawksbill - Fiji Times Online

The island which played a role when Fiji was ceded to Britain - Fiji Times Online

Sunday, March 30, 2008
GERALDINE PANAPASA, Fiji Times

Four of the youths on Nukulau Island on a WWF dive training program

NO one really knows what is happening to Fiji's Alcatraz - Nukulau. 

At one time, there were talks of turning the historic prison island back to a once-upon-a-time popular picnic spot.

However, many people have limited knowledge about the history of Nukulau Island.
The island was a picnic spot until 2000 when coup plotters were kept there as prisoners.

Nukulau is off the Laucala waterfront and is a 15-minute boat ride from Suva Point.

George Speight, Jo Nata and others will always remember Nukulau for they were imprisoned there as political prisoner Nelson Mandela was on Robben Island.
But while Mandela spent more than two decades on Robben island, Speight and his band were transferred to Naboro prison.

History
Nukulau Island played a role in the ceding of Fiji to Britain in 1874.
The island was owned by the American Consul John Brown Williams in 1846. The funny thing is that Williams had bought the island for a mere 30 dollars. He lived there in a wooden two-storey house he built, for three years.
On July 4, 1849, his store was destroyed in a fire which started from a canon burst during American Independence Day celebrations.

When his store burned, natives looted the few belongings he salvaged.
Six years later, another fire destroyed his house and this time, Williams held Ratu Seru Cakobau, the Vunivalu of Bau and self-proclaimed Tui Viti (King of Fiji) responsible for the looting.

With the support of the United States Navy, Williams demanded Cakobau pay $US43,531 in compensation for his losses which were valued at $US5000 plus claims by other settlers.

Cakobau's inability to pay the debt led to a series of negotiations with the United Kingdom resulting in the decision to cede the Fiji Islands to the UK in 1874. Historians believe the debt was deeply exaggerated and largely fabricated. The history of Nukulau did no tend with the commencement of British colonial rule. Between 1879 and 1916, the island served as a quarantine centre for thousands of Indian indentured labourers brought in by the British. They were either employed in Fiji's sugar plantations or sent back to India after health checks.

Prison
A prison was opened on the island on July 21, 2000, two months after a coup.
The prison was home for coup frontman Speight and former journalist Josefa Nata.

On December 18, 2006, Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama decided to close the prison and convert the island to a public park.

The island prison was decommissioned because of the excessive costs of maintenance such as the provision of two boats provided by the Prisons department costing about $160,000 in 2001. Commodore Bainimarama had said the Prisons department had to stretch its resources to cater for extra fuel and maintenance of the boats. The total cost of operating the boats alone came to $100,000 a year.

Present and future
The decommissioning of Nukulau prison paved the way for possible tourism openings.

The Suva City Council has expressed interest in securing a lease from the landowners to transform Nukulau to a cruise destination. The possible introduction of a ferry service between the island and Suva harbour would boost tourism in the capital.

The acting assistant director for the Lands department, Laisa Raratabu, said the island was a picnic spot again.

She said if people wanted to enjoy a day on the island, they have to apply to the department.

"The fee is $2 a person. There are rules people need to follow. The money from the fees or charges is revenue for the Government," said Ms Raratabu.
The divisional surveyor Central/ Eastern, Peni Racava, said the fees helped to maintain the island. There is a caretaker on the island.

"There have been a lot of interest shown by individuals and shipping businesses. From what we gather from tourist agencies, many tourists want to visit the island.

"Locals go there for a picnic and it is open from 7am to 5pm. Tourists are charged $5 a head. People wanting to visit the island should write to management stating the reason for going to the island. They have to find their own way to the island and back."

There are several thatched bure on the island and cooking places.
The barbed wires, prison dormitories, fencing and all indications to suggest the island was a prison have been removed.

Now, Nukulau is a hideaway for picnickers or divers wanting to explore the coral reef.

Managing and maintaining our coral reefs
Fiji's Great Reef or Cakaulevu is the longest and most complex reef system in the Fiji Islands.

It is also the third longest barrier reef system in the world. It runs along the shelf edge in a near continuous chain for more than 200 kilometres converging toward the coast of Fiji's second largest island, Vanua Levu
An estimated 202,700 square kilometres of the Fiji archipelago are coral reef habitats.

This underwater pride is estimated to represent 9 per cent of coral reefs of the Pacific and 3.5 per cent of the total area of coral reefs in the world.
There are about 298 species of scleractinian coral recorded with 475 species of mollusc and 60 species of ascidian in Fiji.

A total of 1208 species of fish have been recorded within Fiji and most of these are associated with coral reefs.

All these findings and records are the reasons coral reefs are important.
The alarming decline of the Earth's coral habitats through cyclones, disease, predators and volcanic eruptions harm reefs and corals.

However, even after such catastrophe, corals tend to regenerate.
Two other critical factors to coral reef decline are the high percentage of carbon-dioxide in the atmosphere and rising sea temperatures.
These two factors may cripple coral's ability to recover.

Other threats to the Great Reef include over-fishing and poaching by illegal fishers, fish poisoning, siltation of near-shore environment caused by erosion and upland activities, dredging of sand for construction purposes, use of small-mesh fishing nets and use of hookah for beche-de-mer collection.
One way to address this devastating environmental issue is practising coral reef maintenance or management.

This is where 20 youths representing four different communities in Fiji come into the picture.

They participated in a Fiji country program community survey methods training instigated by the World Wildlife Fund.

The youths are from Kabara, Malomalo and eight from Ono-i-Lau. Despite coming from different districts, the youths are connected to their coastal environment.

For the past three weeks, the youths have been trained in diving by certified divers on Nukulau Island for a week.

The aim of the training program was to allow the youths to apply all of their training and theory work exercises when they go back to their island communities.

The training will make them better monitor their respective island reefs.
WWF community coral reef survey team leader Monifa Fiu said the youths were chosen by their village heads.

She said the dive training involved coral reef survey methods based on a worldwide methodology to determine the health of reefs.

"The training was an orientation of that methodology. This is not the first time we have worked with members of different communities.

"Part of our work is visiting the various communities and enlightening them on our work. We used to work with small groups of four but this is the first time we had a combination of youths from four different communities.
"The youths have a lot in common and they not only get the opportunity to share their fishing skills but will be able to learn more about the different coral life forms.

"We had three dive operators helping with the training. They are very natural when it comes to diving but with diving there are certain procedures to follow. They also learn about these procedures."

Ms Fiu said dive practice included going out to the reef where groups of four divers would practise coral reef survey methods. She said the youths were taught data collecting.

Ms Fiu said the work of WWF on managing and maintaining healthy coral reefs was part of their message on good environmental practices.
"In each group, the members are paired-up. They are always in pairs, no one swims alone.

"Two divers would be at one coral point while the other two would lay the tape measuring 50 metres to another coral point. Once the tape is set out, one pair would swim to the end of the tape and conduct a fish count.
"Once they reach the other side, the other pair would swim to the other side counting inverts such as clams and lobsters in between the coral reef.
"In the process, data is being recorded with every survey or training.
"Data is important. It determines basic information regarding the health of the reef, status of fish life and management ideologies on maintaining the reef.

"Not only has the training provided them with a general background and understanding the ecology of reefs but it will also give the participants information about survey methods of coral reefs and explore the potential of coral reef bleaching and monitoring of their local reefs."
She said one of the objectives was to enhance village-level coral reef management by training customary resource owners in low-tech, locally tailored, coral reef monitoring.

Ms Fiu said good environmental practices would be more meaningful if carried out by the different communities.

She said by doing so the environmental messages would be much stronger and they were planning to get more people involved and become aware of the roles they can play in monitoring the health of coral reefs.

One of the youths, Josese Voce from Malomalo in Nadroga, said he was happy to be part of the WWF-funded training.

He said he was used to free diving in the village and did not know the ecology of coral reefs until he joined the program.

For Josese, diving is an aspect of life in the village. Not only is it a hobby, it is also a job especially for villagers depended on food from the sea.

"I learned a lot about the different species of fish and corals.

"When I used to dive in the village, I already knew about the corals and fish but to go deeper and learn about the different kinds was new to me.
"I plan to teach others in my village the things I have learnt, especially in caring for the coral reef and the importance of having a healthy coral reef.
"I feel this is important because we depend so much on the sea for our livelihood and food.

"Learning about coral reef survey methods is also interesting. Even diving with equipment was new. I don't use the kind of equipment for diving such as gas tanks and flippers.

"Free dive is different because we don't have gas tanks and it is hard.
"We learn how to use gas tanks and they monitor how much air we use. It helps us control our breathing under water."

The 17-year-old said being a certified diver was a golden opportunity to find employment in the tourism industry.

He hopes to act as a tourist guide for his village.

The Great Reef fringes the entire coast of Macuata province in Vanua Levu.
To date, of the total number of species recorded in Fiji from any one area,
Cakaulevu has the highest percentage recorded including 55 per cent of the known coral reef fish in Fiji, 74 per cent of the known coral species in Fiji, 40 per cent of the known marine flora in Fiji and 44 per cent of Fiji's endemic reef fish species.


The island which played a role when Fiji was ceded to Britain - Fiji Times Online

WWF - Tabu waters: Protecting Fiji’s Great Sea Reef

Dakuwaqa, the shark god, would have heard the ruckus coming from the small village of Naduri in a verdant corner of the Fijian archipelago on the morning of a new beginning.

Ancient fishing chants, many of which hadn’t been performed in more than 50 years, and a lavish feast of local delicacies — clams, seaweeds, taro leaves, mangoes, guavas, coconuts and pineapples — were prepared over days for villagers and visitors alike. A pig was roasted, graceful seasea fan dances and fierce spear dances enacted, gifts bestowed, kava drunk, and a whale’s tooth passed around for good luck.

All this for the opening of the country’s first marine protected area? Yes. That’s what a waitui tabu (prohibited zone) is these days, a cause for celebration, especially when it will protect parts of Fiji’s Great Sea Reef — the world’s third largest barrier reef and home to a staggering array of life, some still unknown to science.

Fiji is leading the pack of coastal nations by committing to the establishment of a network of marine protected areas (MPAs) by 2020. The area, covering 30 per cent of its territorial waters or 39 million hectares, will be the largest system of underwater sanctuaries in the world.

“Protecting the reef will ensure that one of our greatest assets remains intact and continues to be an important part of the traditions, culture and livelihoods of the people of Fiji,” said Etika Rupeni of WWF’s South Pacific Office in Fiji.

“Marine protected areas the world over are proving to be one of the most effective ways for coastal dwellers to safeguard their dwindling food supplies and preserve precious biodiversity.”

Damsel in distress
Captain James Cook, the 18th century British explorer who mapped the South Pacific, including Fiji, is often referred to as the founder of modern oceanography. Among his many discoveries was a linguistic one, the term “taboo” (or “tabu”) — a word that has traveled as widely as Cook himself and is now used throughout the English-speaking world. It still retains, however, its meaning in Polynesia — a prohibition imposed by social custom.

Waitui tabu, or prohibited fishing zones, have been set aside in Fiji’s Great Sea Reef to conserve the most diverse amount of species and habitats as possible. Covering more than 200,000km2, the reef — locally known as Cakaulevu — is home to thousands of marine species, including marine turtles, dolphins, sharks, and 43 new hard coral species. The reef is also an important fishing ground for local communities.

“If you see this place, you would consider yourself the luckiest person on Earth,” said marine biologist Aaron Jenkins, who dives regularly in the Great Sea Reef and is still awed by its extraordinary diversity of life. “The colours, the fish and coral, and most of all, what we still don’t know about it, are amazing.”

During a 12-day survey of the reef undertaken by WWF and its partners at the end of 2004, the team found a species of damsel fish (Pomacentrus sp.) previously unknown to science, as well as 12 threatened species, including 10 species of fish, green turtles and spinner dolphins. The survey also identified significant threats to the Great Sea Reef, such as overfishing and poaching by illegal fishers, poison fishing, sand dredging, and other development activities.

In efforts to protect the fragile environment, local village chiefs in Fiji have launched the first of the reef’s network of marine protected areas.

“It is important to look at a wider scale of management by capturing the interactions between a range of sites, protecting migratory corridors of more mobile species and maintaining ecological processes,” said Jenkins, the survey’s chief scientist.

“Marine protected areas are crucial. They are about preserving the integrity of the wider marine environment across connected systems.”

Protecting tabu areas
In a country where the abiding principle of veisolisoli and kerekere (give and take) is woven into the fabric of society, the concept of marine stewardship is considered common sense. But, years of overfishing, pollution, and destructive harvesting of live coral and exotic fish have eroded Fiji’s underwater paradise.

This is in addition to the plundering of Fiji’s genetic resources where important plant and marine species are being ripped out of the ground and sea for the highly profitable cosmetic, pharmaceutical, agriculture and biotechnology industries — often without the consent of local resource owners.

Efforts, however, are being made to reign in the free-for-all.

The creation of locally managed marine areas (LMMAs) are empowering coastal communities to take matters into their own hands. The Fiji LMMA drives community-based marine conservation by working closely with 40 traditional fishing grounds (qoliqoli). To date, there are 109 LMMA sites in Fiji, covering about 15 per cent of the country’s coastal areas. Witnessing the positive impacts LMMAs are having on local livelihoods, more and more communities are rushing to establish similar programmes.

The benefits of combining traditional and scientific knowledge and methods can be seen in one of the originating communities of this quiet revolution. The residents of Ucunivanua in Fiji’s Verata district, for example, can attest to the benefits of such locally managed areas. Lamenting the decline in the numbers of kaikoso (ark clams) — a key source of food and a marketable commodity — the community decided to take action by reviving tabu practices to protect breeding areas. As a result, clam populations have increased 300 per cent annually in these areas, and by 200 per cent in spillover areas. Incomes over three years have risen by 35 per cent.

“The fish in my protected area are so tame that when you dive down to count them they wink at you,” said one local Fijian fisherman jokingly.

“The underwater residents of my protected area are so happy that they practically flop themselves into the boat," said another.

Replenishing waters for future generations
A notable initiative from Verata is a bio-prospecting arrangement with a pharmaceutical company which has seen US$30,000 put into a trust fund to sustain local conservation work. Another community is managing its coral reefs and generating income by sustainably collecting “live rock” (dead coral or rock covered with algae that is used in aquariums to form a reef base for tropical fish) for the marine aquarium trade.

The Verata initiative and other projects have since merged to share information and resources in a Fiji-wide network of community representatives and NGOs, of which WWF was a founding member.

“The network story is truly an outstanding one, demonstrating how local communities, NGOs and the government can work together to improve livelihoods and protect one’s natural heritage, and indeed, a nation,” said WWF International President Chief Emeka Anyaoku, who presented the government of Fiji and local communities with WWF ’s Conservation Leadership Award.

“As a small island state we are equipped with a special sensitivity that makes us keenly aware of environmental changes,” added Fiji’s Fisheries Minister Konisi Tabu Yabaki. “We, just like our forefathers, know that if we do not maintain the health of our environment, our way of life will be threatened. Waitui tabu simply makes sense.”

WWF is working in the world’s most sensitive and biologically diverse regions to help protect ocean habitat and support commercial fisheries. The global conservation organization is establishing individual marine protected areas and ensuring that they are supported by local people so that they can be managed effectively. Each park fits into a network of protected areas that represents the diversity of habitats within a given marine ecological region.

“The community is grateful for the support,” said Chief Ratu Aisea Katonivere of Macuata Province. “We hope it will begin the journey to bring back the richness of these once plentiful waters, not only for ourselves, but also for our children.”

*This feature was prepared by the press department at WWF -Australia

END NOTES:

• The islands of the Fiji archipelago, which number more than 300, are scattered over a 1.3 million sq km area and are part of one of the largest and most extensive reef systems to be found. More than 98 per cent of Fiji’s territory is ocean and more than 80 per cent of Fiji’s 800,000 plus residents live along the coast. Fiji’s economy depends heavily on its foreign exchange earnings from fisheries and tourism. Fiji's marine resources are also important to customary marine owners who rely on the reefs for subsistence, livelihood and source of income.

• The WWF -led Great Sea Reef expedition included divers from Wetlands International, the Wildlife Conservation Society, the University of the South Pacific Institute of Applied Science, local community members and international experts, with funding support from the Vodafone Foundation.

• Dakuwaqa is the guardian of the reefs and is revered as a god of seafaring and fishing communities in Fijian legend. In his honour, all sharks were saluted when seen and it was considered tabu to eat shark flesh. When canoes passed over areas where Dakuwaqa was known to frequent, cups of yaqona and morsels of food were thrown overboard to gain his favour.


WWF - Tabu waters: Protecting Fiji’s Great Sea Reef

WWF South Pacific | Villagers take lead in financing their I qoloqoli in Macuata, Fiji

- By Ashwini Prabha

The people of the qoliqoli (fishing grounds) of the vanua Nabekavu, Dreketi, Macuata, Sasa and Mali have, in the past 2 years, implemented set actions for the use of their I qoliqoli.

They have successfully set aside 9 areas, totaling to 117 kms2 within the I qoliqoli as tabus(protected areas), for the purpose of restocking the I qoliqoli. Already, the people of the I qoliqoli are talking about larger fishes caught near shore as in the past and different types that had not been seen in the recent years have begun to come back.

“This week we went out fishing everyday and came back with a full catch compared to few years ago when we would go out one day and have a good catch and the next three to four days we would hardly catch anything. These changes have also attracted increasing illegal fishers into the I qoliqoli and into the 'tabu' (protected areas) areas.”

- Emosi Baya, one of the I qoliqoli committee members from Nakawaga, Mali Island.

“These changes have also increasingly attracted illegal fishers into the I qoliqoli and into the tabu areas,”

said Baya.

Currently WWF Fiji and partners are working with the Macuata communities by assisting in the development and implementation of resource management plan, educating and training of community members to undertake activities outlined in their management plans, training fish wardens and building community capacity (through household financial literacy training, community messaging, community biological and socio-economic surveyors etc).

With WWFs support to come to an end in three years, there is a commitment by WWF to assist the qoliqoli committee to secure funding with which the qoliqoli communities will continue to manage their I qoliqoli’s.

Long term self financing of Marine Protected Areas

A 12 month Fund Raising Plan (May 2007 to June 2008), with 4 activities, targeting FJD100,000, has been developed to generate funding for the management of the qoliqoli, spearheaded by the Qoliqoli Committee of the Vanua Nabekavu, Tikina Dreketi, Macuata, Sasa & Mali.

“A review of the 2004 management plan showed that the Qoliqoli committee lacked dedicated funds or a plan to seek funds for the implementation of this plan which includes the actions by fish wardens in stemming illegal fishing.”

- Sanivalati Navuku, Project officers, WWF Fiji Programme

The first fundraising event is the upcoming Great Sea Reefs (GSR) Sevens Rugby Tournament, in November (9th to 10th) at the Subrail Park, in Labasa. The tournament targets to raise $15,000.00.

Ten top national teams will be invited to participate, with part of their travel and accommodation costs supported by the Qoliqoli Committee through sponsorship.

A total of 56 teams are expected to participate, including boys teams of 17, 16, 15, 12, 9. The inclusion of the boys team is expected to pull in parents and families to travel to the games venue in Labasa.

Mr. Baya who is involved in the fundraiser said,

“the GSR sevens is not just to raise money but will help qoliqoli owners to come together to work towards the protection of their natural resources. Working to manage our qoliqoli has brought many of us together, from the inland villages and coastal villages for the first time. Some of us are visiting some qoliqoli villages for the first time as well.”

“When WWF started this project (MPA) in 2004, I was the only representative from the island of Mali. Today the number of representatives from Mali and other villagers has increased. These efforts are helping re-establish our traditional links.”

he said.

Other fundraising activities by the Qoliqoli committee includes- Honorary Qoliqoli Owners by Invitation, targeting $9,000.00, Connecting qoliqoli members living outside of Fiji (3), targeting $10,000.00 and Village based fund raising & dinner by invitation, targeting $42,000.00.

“Effort is being made to increase the communities’ involvement and participation in the management of their resources. The communities need to take ownership in protecting their natural resources starting with MPA projects.”

- Sanivalati Navuku, Project officer, WWF Fiji.

Fiji’s precious marine ecosystem is under attack from over fishing, unsustainable and destructive harvesting of live coral and exotic fish for aquariums, and increasing levels of pollution. Climate change is also playing its part in the degradation of the marine environment as warmer sea water.

In November 2005, seven chiefs of the province of Macuata launched the first of the country’s networks of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) on the Great Sea Reef, the third largest barrier reef in the world. This came about as a result of the Great Sea Reef survey, a first in the area, conducted in 2004 with the support of WWF and partners, which highlighted its unique biodiversity.

WWF has witnessed the benefits of MPAs to biodiversity and marine resources and the people who rely on them around the world. Hence it is supporting the Government and the people of Fiji in the development and implementation of its commitment to have 30%of the country’s EEZ under MPAs by 2020. Together with FLMMA and other key organisations, WWF is facilitating policy dialogue, scientific research, community capacity building and financing.

Source: WWF Fiji

Tabu waters: Protecting Fiji's Great Sea Reef

Dakuwaqa , the Polynesian shark god, would have heard the ruckus coming from the small village of Naduri in a verdant corner of the Fijian archipelago on the morning of a new beginning.

Ancient fishing chants, many of which hadn't been performed in more than 50 years, and a lavish feast of local delicacies — clams, seaweeds, taro leaves, mangoes, guavas, coconuts and pineapples — were prepared over days for villagers and visitors alike. A pig was roasted, graceful seasea fan dances and fierce spear dances enacted, gifts bestowed, kava drunk, and a whale's tooth passed around for good luck.

All this for the opening of the country's first marine protected area? Yes. That's what a waitui tabu (prohibited zone) is these days, a cause for celebration, especially when it will protect parts of Fiji's Great Sea Reef — the world's third largest barrier reef and home to a staggering array of life, some still unknown to science.

Fiji is leading the pack of coastal nations by committing to the establishment of a network of marine protected areas (MPAs) by 2020. The area, covering 30 per cent of its territorial waters or 39 million hectares, will be the largest system of underwater sanctuaries in the world.

“Protecting the reef will ensure that one of our greatest assets remains intact and continues to be an important part of the traditions, culture and livelihoods of the people of Fiji,” said Etika Rupeni of WWF's South Pacific Office in Fiji. “Marine protected areas the world over are proving to be one of the most effective ways for coastal dwellers to safeguard their dwindling food supplies and preserve precious biodiversity.”

Damsel in distress
Captain James Cook, the 18th century British explorer who mapped the South Pacific, including Fiji, is often referred to as the founder of modern oceanography. Among his many discoveries was a linguistic one, the term “taboo” (or “tabu”) — a word that has traveled as widely as Cook himself and is now used throughout the English-speaking world. It still retains, however, its meaning in Polynesia — a prohibition imposed by social custom.

Waitui tabusI, or prohibited fishing zones, have been set aside in Fiji's Great Sea Reef to conserve the most diverse amount of species and habitats as possible. Covering more than 200,000km2, the reef — locally known as Cakaulevu — is home to thousands of marine species, including marine turtles, dolphins, sharks, and 43 new hard coral species. The reef is also an important fishing ground for local communities.

“If you see this place, you would consider yourself the luckiest person on Earth,” said marine biologist Aaron Jenkins, who dives regularly in the Great Sea Reef and is still awed by its extraordinary diversity of life. “The colours, the fish and coral, and most of all, what we still don't know about it, are amazing.”

During a 12-day survey of the reef undertaken by WWF and its partners at the end of 2004, the team found a species of damsel fish (Pomacentrus sp.) previously unknown to science, as well as 12 threatened species, including 10 species of fish, green turtles and spinner dolphins. The survey also identified significant threats to the Great Sea Reef, such as overfishing and poaching by illegal fishers, poison fishing, sand dredging, and other development activities.

In efforts to protect the fragile environment, local village chiefs in Fiji have launched the first of the reef's network of marine protected areas.

“It is important to look at a wider scale of management by capturing the interactions between a range of sites, protecting migratory corridors of more mobile species and maintaining ecological processes,” said Jenkins, the survey's chief scientist.

“Marine protected areas are crucial. They are about preserving the integrity of the wider marine environment across connected systems.”

Protecting tabu areas
In a country where the abiding principle of veisolisoli and kerekere (give and take) is woven into the fabric of society, the concept of marine stewardship is considered common sense. But, years of overfishing, pollution, and destructive harvesting of live coral and exotic fish have eroded Fiji's underwater paradise.

This is in addition to the plundering of Fiji's genetic resources where important plant and marine species are being ripped out of the ground and sea for the highly profitable cosmetic, pharmaceutical, agriculture and biotechnology industries — often without the consent of local resource owners.

Efforts, however, are being made to reign in the free-for-all.

The creation of locally managed marine areas (LMMAs) are empowering coastal communities to take matters into their own hands. The Fiji LMMA drives community-based marine conservation by working closely with 40 traditional fishing grounds (qoliqoli). To date, there are 109 LMMA sites in Fiji, covering about 15 per cent of the country's coastal areas. Witnessing the positive impacts LMMAs are having on local livelihoods, more and more communities are clamoring to establish similar programmes.

The benefits of combining traditional and scientific knowledge and methods can be seen in one of the originating communities of this quiet revolution. The residents of Ucunivanua in Fiji's Verata district, for example, can attest to the benefits of such locally managed areas. Lamenting the decline in the numbers of kaikoso (ark clams) — a key source of food and a marketable commodity — the community decided to take action by reviving tabu practices to protect breeding areas. As a result, clam populations have increased 300 per cent annually in these areas, and by 200 per cent in spillover areas. Incomes over three years have risen by 35 per cent.

“The fish in my protected area are so tame when you dive down to count them they wink at you,” said one local Fijian fisherman jokingly.

“The underwater residents of my protected area are so happy that they practically flop themselves into the boat, said another.”

Replenishing waters for future generations
A notable initiative from Verata is a bio-prospecting arrangement with a pharmaceutical company which has seen US$30,000 put into a trust fund to sustain local conservation work. Another community is managing its coral reefs and generating income by sustainably collecting “live rock” (dead coral or rock covered with algae that is used in aquariums to form a reef base for tropical fish) for the marine aquarium trade.

The Verata initiative and other projects have since merged to share information and resources in a Fiji-wide network of community representatives and NGOs, of which WWF was a founding member.

“The network story is truly an outstanding one, demonstrating how local communities, NGOs and the government can work together to improve livelihoods and protect one's natural heritage, and indeed, a nation,” said WWF International President Chief Emeka Anyaoku, who presented the government of Fiji and local communities with WWF's Conservation Leadership Award.

“As a small island state we are equipped with a special sensitivity that makes us keenly aware of environmental changes,” added Fiji's Fisheries Minister Konisi Tabu Yabaki. “We, just like our forefathers, know that if we do not maintain the health of our environment, our way of life will be threatened. Waitui tabu simply makes sense.”

WWF is working in the world's most sensitive and biologically diverse regions to help protect ocean habitat and support commercial fisheries. The global conservation organization is establishing individual marine protected areas and ensuring that they are supported by local people so that they can be managed effectively. Each park fits into a network of protected areas that represents the diversity of habitats within a given marine ecological region.

“The community is grateful for the support,” said Chief Ratu Aisea Katonivere of Macuata Province. “We hope it will begin the journey to bring back the richness of these once plentiful waters, not only for ourselves, but also for our children.”

Source: WWF

The Annual WWF Turtle Benefit Ball, Fiji

An enchanted evening for the endangered turtle

The Annual Turtle Benefit Ball is promising to be another evening of fun, feasting and most importantly, gathering much needed support for turtle conservation in Fiji.

The event scheduled for the 7th June, 2008, has already attracted commitments from the following:

• Beachcomber Island Resort
• Communications Fiji Limited
• Castaway Island Resort
• Hideaway Resort
• Holiday Inn Suva
• Kundan Singh Limited
• Laje Rotuma
• Lagoon Resort
• Musket Cove Resort
• Natural Waters of Viti Limited
• New Peking
• Pure Fiji
• Skin Deep Fiji
• Sonaisali Island Resort Fiji
• Star Printery Limited
• The Pearl Resort & Golf
• Pacific Manufacturers Limited
• Pacific Coatings Limited

The inaugural Turtle Benefit Ball held in 2007, attracted more than 200 guests from different professions and repute to aid WWF Fiji and partners in their efforts to protect the endangered sea turtle – a cultural icon for the island nation. The Ball raised a total of FJD 10,000 that supported several key activities such as:

• nesting beach surveys during December 2007
• community road shows in Vanua Levu aimed at primary and secondary school students
• national high school art and poem competition
• the first ever satellite tagging of hawksbill turtles on Yadua Island and the Mamanuca group

The 2008 Turtle Benefit Ball is aiming to again raise more public awareness and corporate engagement to continue the momentum of activities enabled by the funds raised in the previous ball.

This year’s theme is linked to the International Year of the Reef and particularly looks to illustrate the important role of turtles in maintaining the health of coral reefs. Turtles have recently been heralded as the emerging ‘canaries’ of climate change particularly as they are a good way to study the impacts of climate on coral reefs and associated ecosystems.

» Download our flyer for more details

» Learn more about turtles

Call 3315533 and speak to Akisi / Jone for ticket / table reservations or further enquiries.

"If you see this place, you would consider yourself the luckiest person on Earth." - Divester

That’s what marine biologist Aaron Jenkins says about Fiji’s Great Sea Reef. And it’s only getting better. That’s because Fiji is at the forefront of nations establishing marine protected areas (MPAs) in her territorial waters. By the year 2020, in fact, Fiji plans to have 30% of her waters under protection, which will make that island nation the largest system of underwater sanctuaries in the world.

Fiji’s Cakaulevu (a.k.a., the Great Sea Reef and the world’s third largest barrier reef) – is getting numerous waitui tabu (prohibited fishing zones) to provide sanctuary for thousands of marine species, including marine turtles, dolphins, sharks, and 43 new hard coral species. Similar MPAs have been implemented in other parts of Fiji. Locals agree that, as a result, not only do the flora and fauna appear healthier and happier, but personal incomes have risen by 35%.

I’m impressed with the fact that it isn’t just far-off government officials imposing strict regulations on remote islanders who fish for their livings. Rather, communities worked with the WWF, local politicians, NGOs and local village chiefs to help set up the MPA outside Naduri, the first of the network of marine protected areas in this part of the reef. As conservation practices spread, underwater communities are bound to become even more beautiful, meaning: Fiji will, no doubt, become even more of a premiere dive spot.

Villages protect marine areas - Fiji Times Online

Villages protect marine areas - Fiji Times Online:

"Villages protect marine areas

ASHWINI PRABHA
Monday, July 09, 2007

Nakawaga fishermen caught two boats full of trevally within a few hours.

THE people of the Nabekavu, Dreketi, Macuata, Sasa and Mali have, in the past two years, implemented set actions for the use of their i qoliqoli (fishing ground) .

They have successfully set aside nine areas, totalling 117 square kilometres within the i qoliqoli as tabu (marine protected area), for the purpose of restocking the i qoliqoli.

The people of the Qoliqoli Cokovata are talking about larger fish caught near the shore as in the past and different types that had not been seen in recent years are surfacing again.

'This week we went out fishing everyday and came back with a full catch compared to few years ago when we would go out one day and have a good catch and the next three to four days we would hardly catch anything,' said Emosi Baya, one of the qoliqoli committee members from Nakawaga, Mali Island."

Villages protect marine areas

The oceans and us - Fiji Times Online

The oceans and us - Fiji Times Online:

"The oceans and us

AKISI BOLABOLA of WWF Fiji
Sunday, June 03, 2007

Students from Udu collect data from sea grass monitoring every term and send to WWF. They have their own equipments to carry out the monitoring and have been trained by WWF and are assisted by the teachers and community trainer.+ Enlarge this image

Students from Udu collect data from sea grass monitoring every term and send to WWF. They have their own equipments to carry out the monitoring and have been trained by WWF and are assisted by the teachers and community trainer.

'Whether you live along the coast or far inland, each one of us is connected to the world's ocean. Get inspired, get involved and celebrate is the message to all on World Oceans day.'

More water then land

Oceans cover more than 70 per cent of the earth's surface and no doubt when one looks at the world map, blue is more dominating in comparison to the green (land area).

This dominating feature sure calls for recognition as nations and communities embark to celebrate World Oceans Day on June 8."

The oceans and us - Fiji Times Online:

The fight against whaling - Fiji Times Online

The fight against whaling - Fiji Times Online:

"The fight against whaling

Sunday, May 27, 2007

IF you're an ardent follower of the TV series Criminal Minds being shown on Fiji One, you would have also caught the Greenpeace advertisement featuring Sir Anthony Hopkins lobbying on behalf of the ocean's giant leviathans the endangered whales.

It is a timely advertisement given that on May 28-31, the annual 2007 meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) will happen in Anchorage, Alaska.

Many will attend including representatives from Pacific Island countries that are members of the IWC to determine the future of whales.

The IWC is the decision making body of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW) and originally had 14 member states.

Over the past 50 odd years, its membership has grown to 73 and they hold the fate of the whales and the dolphins in their hands.

The IWC was established in response to recognition that after centuries of whaling, species after species of the great whales were being hunted close to extinction.

Intensive whaling efforts such as those in the 1960s where about 70,000 whales were caught annually led to international action to regulate the commercial whaling industry.

However, it came too late for the Atlantic population of gray whales which have been hunted to extinction."

The fight against whaling - Fiji Times Online

Fiji joins World Oceans Day event - Fiji Times Online

Fiji joins World Oceans Day event - Fiji Times Online:

"Fiji joins World Oceans Day event

Amelia Vunileba
Friday, June 08, 2007

Mere Seeto, left, and Soloila Naceba of John Wesley College watch a gold fish at the Environment Week display in Suva.+ Enlarge this image

Mere Seeto, left, and Soloila Naceba of John Wesley College watch a gold fish at the Environment Week display in Suva.

Various stakeholders concerned with the environment held exhibitions in Suva yesterday as part of Environment Week.

WWF South Pacific Program co-ordinator Ashwini Prabha said Fiji would join the global community in celebrating World Oceans Day today.

'WWF Fiji, USP's Institute of Marine Resources, the Laje Rotuma Initiative, Department of Fisheries and the Ministry of Environment have actively worked to engage the corporate community in Fiji to support ocean and environmental protection,' she said.

These organisations lead the initiative in Fiji to celebrate World Oceans Day.

Ms Prabha said everyone was connected to the ocean somehow whether they lived along the coast or inland. 'The theme for this year's celebration is food Security Beyond Climate Change' with a particular emphasis on protecting our mangroves, which are a nursery for many of our ocean foods.'"

Fiji joins World Oceans Day event - Fiji Times Online