Waitabu Marine Park Blog

POLICE officers in Fiji still lag in terms of enforcing the laws that protect fishing boundaries, including poaching issues, says World Wildlife Fund for Nature policy officer Alfred Ralifo. Speaking at a recent workshop in Labasa, he said police were still not sure of fisheries laws and failed to observe the legal processes required resulting in cases being dropped from court. "Police need more training on this issue and its provisions so that they can fully enforce it to prevent illegal fishing activities taking place in the North," Mr Ralifo said. Responding to the statement by Mr Ralifo, police chief operations officer Assistant Commissioner of Police Rusiate Tudravu said they were aware of the problem and they would deal with it by providing more training to their police officers. "We are training police officers in ensuring that our officers are well versed with the Fisheries Act and the powers that they have under the Act to prosecute offenders especially for ille...

Waitabu Marine Park has long since been a pioneering example of a successful locally managed Marine Protected Area (MPA).  Waitabu is a very traditional village, reliant on farming and subsistence fishing. In 1998 Waitabu Village requested assistance to initiate a marine Protected Area for tourism, to conserve marine resources for future generations "Inspiring people in Fiji and abroad to make positive changes throughout their lives by introducing them to sustainable environmental projects and eco adventures with sensitivity to local values and traditions." Waitabu Marine Park

Great article by Kirsty in this week's Fiji Times! + Enlarge this image Reef check team enters the tabu tara area. Picture: Supplied A MARINE park in Waitabu, Taveuni, has recorded a significant increase in fish and marine species.  The development comes after the communities of Waitabu, Lavena, Wai, Vurevure and Bouma expressed interest in finding out how the new, seven-month-old tabu tara area directly outside their villages was affecting fish numbers and coral growth.  A group of dedicated marine lovers came together to take part in their annual marine survey.  Host and Island Spirit director Kirsty Barnby said more marine species were sighted compared to last year's survey.  For beche-de-mer (sea cucumber), she said a healthy increase from 107 to 176 were recorded in the tabu tara area this year.  "Baby beche-de-mer are breeding in the tabu tara area and as a result, juveniles are being seen in the tabu tara for the first time — 156 were recorded in the ta...

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...

During the first week of March, Waitabu Village in Taveuni, Fiji, played host to a group of dedicated local marine lovers who came together to take part in the annual marine Survey. Waitabu Marine Park  has long since been a pioneering example of a successful locally managed Marine Protected Area (MPA). The communities of  Waitabu  and Bouma came together to protect their native fishing grounds in 1998. Their foresight and diligence allows visitors the opportunity to share in the beauty of the  Waitabu Marine Park . The week of marine activities included:   Large scale habitat and invertebrate species : The manta tow monitoring method is used for assessing broad-scale changes in reef cover due to cyclone damage, coral bleaching and outbreaks of the Crown-of-Thorns starfish. Fine scale invertebrate surveys : Timed search and measurements. Fine scale reef populations : Reef Check’ point and belt transects: A randomised technique to measure what is...

MARINE PARK RESERVES LINKS PARKS LINKS Namena Marine Reserve www.namena.org Waitabu Marine Park www.waitabu.org Bula Sharks Fiji www.saveourseas.com Beqa Adventures Divers www.fiji-sharks.com Coral Reef Alliance - Fiji Project www.coral.org Shark Foundation Fiji www.sharkfoundation.org Fiji Islands Travel Guide | DiveMe | Marine Reserve | Ocean Life

Come in LLMAs & MPAs 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 for m...