Waitabu Marine Park Blog

Wednesday, June 18, 2008 ALUMECI NAKEKE Okostino Apao ... protecting the sea The love for his fishing ground and a request from his dying mother prompted 23-year-old Okostino Apao to put his studies on hold and look after the village marine protected area. Apao is originally from Rotuma but grew up in his mother's village of Waitabu on Taveuni . As Apao grew up, he never really understood the importance of the work his late mother Sala did, which is to manage the village marine protected area, now known as the Waitabu Marine Park as it is frequently visited by tourists. Sala was the force behind the setting up of the park with the help of Marine Ecology Fiji Consultant, Helen Sykes . After completing Form Seven on Taveuni, Apao enrolled at the Fiji Institute of Technology, but had to return to help his sick mother with her work. Sadly, she died in 2006. Since then, Apao said, he has continued to do the work his mother did and has never regretted leaving FIT because he love...

Sunday, June 01, 2008 ALUMECI NAKEKE A survey team includes villagers from Waitabu who are trained to monitor the tabu area TWENTY years ago villagers of Waitabu on the north eastern coast of Taveuni would never a give a second thought about their reefs or what dwelled on their shores. They walked on the reefs breaking the corals and took home whatever they could eat no matter how small. There was heavy seaweed growth because there was no more fish to feed on it. The state of the Waitabu Village coast was so pathetic that at first sight, Helen Sykes, a marine ecologist , had no hope it could return to its natural state and refused when approached by the community to set up a marine protected area ( MPA ) or tabu on their fishing ground. But with the community's continual persistence Ms Sykes agreed. As the project began, the community was constantly reminded that once the tabu was in place, they were to respect it. They were taught not to disturb the area by taking boats through t...

Fiji's guardian of the sea looks after village marine protected area by ALUMECI NAKEKE The love for his fishing ground and a request from his dying mother prompted 23-year-old Okostino Apao to put his studies on hold and look after the village marine protected area in his home, Fiji. Apao is originally from Rotuma but grew up in his mother's village of Waitabu on Taveuni. As Apao grew up, he never really understood the importance of the work his late mother Sala did, which is to manage the village marine protected area, now known as the Waitabu Marine Park as it is frequently visited by tourists. Sala was the force behind the setting up of the park with the help of Marine Ecology Fiji Consultant, Helen Sykes. After completing Form Seven on Taveuni, Apao enrolled at the Fiji Institute of Technology, but had to return to help his sick mother with her work. Sadly, she died in 2006. Since then, Apao said, he has continued to do the work his mo...