Waitabu Marine Park Blog

What is an MPA? “A MPA is an area of ocean or coastal water recognised by both government and society as having specific conservation value. Measures are put in place to preserve the quality of marine life including restricted access for fishing, diving and other potentially harmful activities.” Fiji's commitment to establish a Marine Protected Area (MPA) Network covering 30 per cent of the country's in-shore fisheries by 2020 could be realised earlier than expected. This commitment made in January 2005 by the Government has resulted in more than 200 marine protected areas within Fiji's 410 customary fishing grounds, known as i qoliqoli. That's more than 50 per cent of the total target accomplished within just three years. Conservationists are excited about the increase in the number of MPA's or fishing grounds that have been declared tabu by traditional owners. And they are targeting ...

Villagers were in for a surprise when a delicacy they only heard of from their elders suddenly appeared in their fishing ground after 60 years. The long lost "ita" (kuita) or octopus' reemergence is the result of the setting aside of a tabu (prohibited fishing) area in their i qoliqoli. Not only did they find a few but as many as three to four for each person a day to take home, said Korolevu Yaubula chairman Apolosi Silaca with a big smile on his face. The vanua o Korolevu is in the district of Navatu, Cakaudrove, Vanua Levu. "This lasted for four days and we were all excited because we had never seen them in our i qoliqoli before. Many of us did not even know how to catch them and would not even recognise them because they had never been caught in our qoliqoli," he said. Mosese Joji, 74, who used to reminisce the good old days when their mothers used to bring in octopus has been able to taste one from his qoliqoli after 60 years. He thought he would neve...

Rückschau: Fidschi Rettung für Korallenriffs Sendeanstalt und Sendedatum: SWR, Sonntag, 22. November 2009 Weltweit lässt der Klimawandel die Meerestemperaturen steigen mit einem verheerenden Kollateralschaden: Die Korallenriffe sterben langsam ab. So auch auf den Fidschi-Inseln im südpazifischen Meer. Das kleine Dorf Waitabu stemmte sich als erste Gemeinde auf den Fidschis gegen die Folgen: Die vorgelagerten Riffe wurden als Naturschutzgebiete ausgewiesen, Touristen und Taucher dürfen nur nach einer ökologischen Einführung zu den Korallen, Fischer müssen ihre Fangtechniken umweltverträglich machen. Seitdem erholen sich die temperatur- und stressempfindlichen Korallen wieder sichtbar. Über 200 Dörfer sind inzwischen dem Beispiel von Waitabu gefolgt und haben Schutzgebiete angelegt – mit der Hoffnung, dass ein gesundes Riff der Erwärmung der Meere zumindest länger standhält. Bildunterschrift: Korallenriff ] Anflug auf den In...

Looking back: Fiji Rescue for coral reefs   Broadcasting and broadcast: SWR, Sunday, 22 November 2009 Worldwide climate change affects ocean temperatures to rise slowly with a devastating collateral damage: The coral reefs die. The small village Waitabu braced himself as the first community in Fiji against the consequences: The reefs have been designated as nature reserves, tourists and scuba divers may only after an environmental introduction to the corals, fishermen have to make their environmentally friendly fishing techniques. About 200 villages are now followed the example of Waitabu and have created protected zones - with the hope that a healthy reef can withstand the warming of the seas, at least longer. They are among the most biodiverse ecosystems in the world, they feed people, protect coastlines and bring countries such as Fiji lot of money by tourists. But in a few decades, scientists fear they could be dead. Here below is the work of Helen Sykes. The cor...

Waitabu Marine Park In 1998, the residents of Waitabu Village designated a significant portion of their Qoliqoli, or traditional fishing grounds, as a no-take zone, thus creating one of the first marine protected areas in Fiji. With the dedication of local community leaders in partnership with CORAL and other non-governmental organizations, the Waitabu Marine Park celebrated ten years of healthy coral reefs in 2008. Most recently, CORAL provided a microgrant to Waitabu Marine Park to purchase twenty brand-new masks and snorkels for the snorkel tourism business from which the park earns the bulk of its yearly income. And in an effort to increase camping tourism within the marine park, CORAL provided funds to purchase a lawn mower that park leaders will use to keep camping areas safe and well groomed. Fiji field representative Sirilo “Didi” Dulunaqio was joined by field representative Heidi Williams in 2007, allowing CORAL staff to meet regularly with dive operators, the local communi...

2008 Great Fiji Butterflyfish Count Results presented at the Fiji Islands Conservation Science Forum 5th - 7th August 2009 The 2009 inaugural Fiji Islands Conservation Science Forum (FICSF) provided an excellent platform for the Butterflyfish Count organizing committee to present its findings to the greater scientific and conservation organizations in Fiji as well as to the general public. The presentation was made by Chinnamma Reddy on behalf of the committee. The talk focused on the preliminary analysis of Butterflyfish abundance and species richness compiled from results of the Great Fiji Butterflyfish Count in November last year. The considerably fewer resources required for conducting and receiving wide scale information on species distribution and abundance in Fiji was highlighted and proven through the mass network and support during the Butterflyfish Count event. Mass replication of such surveys reduces variability in results and can be quite successfully utilized for e...

The Wetlands-International Oceania, Wildlife Conservation Society, World Wide Fund, Govt. Fiji, USP and Fiji Locally Managed Marine Area are organising a Fiji Islands Conservation Science Forum from 5 - 7 August 2009 at the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, Suva, Fiji. The Forum provides the opportunity for students, researchers, scientists, naturalists and scholars to present some of their research findings to the general public. PACINET (Pacific Islands Network for Taxonomy) is planning to coordinate a Systematics/Taxonomy session in support of the FICS forum. All taxonomists (including parataxonomists, ethno-taxonomists and systematics) who have worked on Fijian biodiversity are invited to be part of this inaugural event. For further information contact Posa A. Skelton, Coordinator - PACINET, USP/SPC/SPREP, Suva, Fiji, Tel. +679 3232708 or Mb. +679 908 9286, email: skelton_p@usp.ac.fj or posas@spc.int ANPC News: INTERNATIONAL: Fiji Islands Conservation Science Forum 5 - 7 August 2...