Waitabu Marine Park Blog

This area of Taveuni has been awarded the “International British Airways Eco-Tourism Award". White sand beaches, great snorkeling, bilibili rafts, Fijian village life and much more... This half day excursion will begin with a beautifully scenic drive to the Eastern side of the island. Upon arrival at Waitabu Village you will be welcomed into village life over morning tea that has been prepared by the village women. You will take a most memorable raft trip up the river on a traditional bilibili raft. Extremely knowledgeable, trained guides will snorkel with you to point out and explain the amazing marine life that is found in this area. You will have time to enjoy the excellent snorkeling or just relax on the beach or spend time learning more about Fijian culture from your friendly village guide. Afternoon tea and a kava drinking ceremony accompanied by local island music will be served before returning to Taveuni Palms. Please kindly note that you dress modestl...

  The district of Kubulau is taking the lead in managing its marine resources, by putting together a management plan administered by a management committee selected by the communities and trained by NGO’s who are conducting work in the district. This was heard at the St Agnes Parish Community Hall in Samabula East on Friday evening as representatives from environmental NGO’s involved in projects in Kubulau presented to the people of Kubulau living in Suva an update of what was happening back home. The open–forum, which for the first time saw the chiefs from the district coming down to Suva as part of this contingent, proved to be an eye opener for many Kubulau natives living in the Central and Southern division of Viti Levu. The Namena Marine Protected Areas and other MPA’s around Kubulau is today been used as a model for other qoliqoli owners from other districts around Fiji. NGOs who are currently based and conducting projects in Kubulau now for a number of years includ...

Thoroughly enjoyed my time at Waitabu. We arrived at 9am and spent a couple of hours snorkeling in the marine park at Waitabu with local guides who knew their stuff. We were poled up to the park in a handmade Fijian bamboo raft, a Bilibili. The local guides had a good knowledge of the area and were cool to relax afterward on the beach in a new open sided bure with tea and music. Very laid back and true eco-tourism in it's purest sense. One thing is that is is a tidal activity, and can only be done a few hours on either side of high tide. You can't just rock up and go, it must be arranged by phone first so you know what time would be good. Great snorkelling trip and village visit - Review of Waitabu Marine Park, Taveuni Island, Fiji - TripAdvisor

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...