Sea Cucumber ID cards help sustainable reef management in Fiji
Waitabu Marine Park , in the Vanua Bouma of Taveuni Island, is one of the original community-based marine managed areas in Fiji. Started in 1998, Waitabu’s no-take, or “Tabu Vakdua” area, was one of the founder members of the Fiji Locally Managed Marine Areas (FLMMA)network in 2001. Protected for 15 years, the Tabu Vakadua area is now rich in fish, coral and invertebrate life, and the community has recently started a new project; a temporary closure known as a “Tabu Tara”. The concept of the Tabu Tara is to close an area of reef neighbouring the long-term Tabu Vakadua, allow marine life to increase in the newly closed area, and then to open it for short term specific harvests. In this way it is hoped to create a form of sustainable “farming” of marine resources, with regular cropping. Sea Cucumbers SeaCucumbers have been a trade item in Fiji for 200 years. Unfortunately, in recent times, advancing technology such as SCUBA and Hookah underwater breathing equipment has allo...