Waitabu Marine Park Blog

+ Enlarge this image Semesa Lase of Namara, Tailevu, signing a pledge not to fish, buy or eat the two types of fish, kawakawa and donu, at the SeaWeb's Pledge To Save The Kawakawa campaign in Suva yesterday. Picture: ELIKI NUKUTABU A CAMPAIGN was launched yesterday to boost fish stocks, specifically that of the kawakawa and donu. The campaign, which is known as the "4FJ Campaign", involves members of the public refrain from fishing them during their breeding season, which is between June and September every year. SeaWeb program associate Alumeci Nakeke said they were delicacies as well as commercially valuable fish for Fiji's coastal communities. "The campaign is ultimately about empowering people in Fiji to create change for a better future," Ms Nakeke said. "What makes the group particularly vulnerable to overfishing is the way the fish reproduce … through a suite of outreach activities at national and grassroots level, the campaign aims to decrease...

ACCORDING to survey results carried out by the Marine Ecology Fiji last year, marine life has really improved in the Waitabu Marine Park . The organisation's official website recorded the following information: Sea Cucumber (Bech-de-mer): Despite the challenges of poaching over the last few months, which has now been addressed by the local police, sea cucumbers have doubled in quantity from last year to 107 in the taboo area this year. * Bula (crown-of-thorns): Again in the protected area, the crown-of-thorns has almost increased ten-fold from five last year to 43 this year. With consent from the Waitabu Marine Park Committee, the group responded directly by clearing 100 of these starfish in just one hour. * Cawaki (Urchin): Numbers of cawaki are increasing in the allowed area in front of Waitabu Village while none were spotted in the protected area just metres away. This demonstrates how the lack of certain species can help with understanding the state of the reef. In this ...

CONSERVATION efforts initiated by the World Conservation Society throughout the Wailevu coast in Cakaudrove have been labelled a success. According to the vanua liaison officer of the Wildlife Conservation Society, Sirilo Dulunaqio, the Reef to Ridge Sustainable Project had been widely accepted by chiefs within the district of Wailevu. Mr Dulunaqio said the Reef to Ridge concept was inclusive of all the factors that affected marine life, beginning from the mountains right down to the sea. Full article here:  Group hails district's effort - Fiji Times Online