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Protectors of Paradise Species Protection and Management of Marine Fisheries in Fiji 1
Protectors of Paradise Species Protection and Management of Marine Fisheries in Fiji 1
Paradise: Species
protection and
management of
marine fisheries in
Fiji
By: Cambria Novelly
Introduction
Species protection and management have been around since people
started to take resources to provide their bodies with food. For more than
2000 years, the Indigenous nations of the Fijian islands have managed the
marine fisheries surrounding their islands according to their traditional
ecological knowledge (TEK) (Kintisch 2019 P.32). Traditional ecological
knowledge or TEK is understood as the knowledge passed down through
generations about the relationships the previous generations have had
between humans and other natural resources. These natural resources include
animals, plants, as well as soil, and different environmental conditions are
needed to have a good harvest of these resources. However, when Fiji was
under British colonial rule in 1874 many of these traditional ecological ideas
were ignored and removed from the marine fisheries management plan by the
British government which did not understand the relationship between people
and the fish they rely on to survive and feed their communities. (Kintisch 2019
P.47) Colonization by the British completely changed management practices
for all the natural resources that Fiji has to offer. Colonization also affected the
traditional cultural leaders with the introduction of a market economy which
led to the devaluation of traditional authorities such as clan leaders and chiefs.
These cultural shifts in the country contributed even more so to the
suppression of Indigenous traditional ecological knowledge. The two major
groups that changed and influenced the management practices of Fiji are the
Indigenous Fijians who were content and working well and positively with the
environment implementing their traditional ecological knowledge. The second
group that greatly influenced and changed the management of resources in Fiji
was the British when they colonized Fiji and implemented a British colonial
government that ignored all the traditional ecological knowledge of the
Indigenous Fijians. The British government focused on the market economy
and harvesting fish for profit compared to the Indigenous Fijians who fished
for subsistence. The major critiques for this changed practice that the British
implemented were how it is ruining the environment, how the current Fijian
government is doing enough to protect what fish is left, how subsistence is
being affected by these regulations, and how it has become hard for families to
fish as a form of subsistence protein.
Fijian traditional ecological knowledge has been around for 2000 years and
was in use up until 1874 when Fiji became a part of the British colonies. When it
became a British colony implemented a British colonial government that
ignored all the traditional ecological knowledge of the Indigenous Fijians.
(Kintisch,2019, p.22) Yet in the 1970s when Fiji gained independence from
British rule they started to have a resurgence and appreciation for traditional
ecological knowledge and ecologists started to recognize it as an important
tool for managing natural resources in Fiji. In the 1980s there was a growing
interest in forming management strategies through government collaboration
and local indigenous communities. The incorporation of indigenous strategies
for exploiting and managing their marine fisheries using local traditional
ecological knowledge. The local communities are doing this by reestablishing
reef tenures as well as marine protected areas. Reef tenures are where
fisheries and communities hold traditional rights that are recognized by other
communities. These rights are to the fish and marine resources below the high
tide mark. However, they are rarely recognized by the government. While
marine protected areas are a section of the ocean where the government has
placed some limits on human activity to protect the environment.
Government Failure
The current practices and laws that are in place by the Fiji government are not
doing what they need to do to conserve and protect marine resources to the
best of their ability. In a lot of ways, it is not enough to restore the damages
that have been done by the colonial British government while they were in
power. Many of the Indigenous groups who are still harvesting fish in their
traditional ways have healthier marine environments surrounding them.
However, the Fijian government does not recognize marine tenure as a law or
ideal to be followed. Marine tenure is a system in which indigenous coastal
communities maintain the right to harvest from nearshore waters close to their
community. Giving them access to all the marine resources and management
of these areas as they feel is best for their community. However the Fijian
constitution “identifies continued ownership of Fijian land according to Fijian
custom as a central principle guiding the conduct of government. The Native
Lands Act provides for the continued occupation and use of ‘native lands’ by
indigenous Fijians according to custom. However, the Constitution does not
formally recognize customary fishing rights or customary marine tenure.”
(Minter, 2008,p.11) This means that if the tribe lost ownership of its customary
marine tenure or qoliqoli, it would not have the customary rights as seen by the
government unless it maintained ownership of the qoliqoli the entire time.
Meaning that when the Fisheries Act and regulations that came with it allow for
the Minister “to designate areas where the taking of fish is restricted or
prohibited. Although generally referred to as a Marine Protected Areas regime,
it is currently not possible to establish areas where all forms of fishing are
completely prohibited. This is because the Fifth Schedule to the Act allows for
the creation of marine reserves that prohibit fishing except by hand net,
wading net, spear, or line and hook. The protection offered by the Act is further
undermined as individuals may apply to the Commissioner of the Division for
authorization to take fish from restricted areas.” (Minter, 11) This is undermining
the entire point of the marine protected area if people are allowed to just apply
to still fish with any of the prohibited methods if they apply and are approved
to fish with other methods. This indicates a lack of coordination between
different sectors working on maintaining fisheries in Fiji. If one act says no to
something however there is another set of regulations that is applied by a
different sector that says it's okay to fish with other methods in this area if you
just apply to them. The LMMAs are marine protected areas that are organized
and managed by local indigenous tribes, following local traditional fishing laws
and practices and implementing new and updated protections for species of
high vulnerability. However this does not stop politicians from being proud of
the “progress” they are making, this is happening with the Locally Managed
Marine Areas or LMMAs which are an international point of pride with
government officials participating in the network's meetings. However,
protecting coastal fisheries resources wasn’t an important priority of the
government. (Kintisch,2019, p.6) However this has been the case with the Fijian
national government, the government “hasn’t heavily focused on protecting
coastal fisheries resources, so change requires political and policy reform. A
stroll along the busy and somewhat grimy docks in Suva on a Friday morning
makes clear the antiquated state of Fiji’s coastal fishing rules and their lax
enforcement.” (Kintisch,2019, p.6) This is important because without these laws
being enacted and upheld to the standard it needs to be, the fisheries around
Fiji will be overfished and those who rely on them for subsistence will be left
starving as the big industry takes over. This loss of fish in Fiji will have an
impact on everyone in Fiji who relies on it as a form of protein.
The implementation for the
protection of these fisheries is not
being properly handled by the Fijian
government, the wardens are not well
enough trained on how to properly
protect and uphold the laws. The
government has implemented these
FLMMAs in areas to allow for the
indigenous tribes to have control over
their own marine protected area
however they are not properly funding
training for this operation for it to be
successful and have a positive
environmental impact. According to a
survey done by the IUCN states that “A
rough estimate provided by Fiji Locally
Managed Marine Area (FLMMA)
suggests that less than 50% of FLMMA
sites have certified fish wardens.”
(Minter,2008, p.35) The locally
managed marine areas are shown on
the map as inshore SUMA’s in light blue,
these are all the areas that are
managed by local Indigenous groups Map 1: Map of inshore and offshore special, unique
marine areas (SUMAs) (Sykes,11)
on the islands they surround.
Existing studies and literature have shown that marine protected areas can be
successful in increasing the abundance and fish biomass of target fish species
as well as non-target fish species. Marine-protected areas can have positive
and lasting effects which have been observed in permanent no-take areas
compared to partial protection or periodically harvested areas. However,
management practices need to stay adaptive and adapt to protect what is
found in each individual marine protected area site. It will take time and an
effort by the government to place more protections and have more people put
in place to make sure this protection is being upheld to protect and manage
the marine fisheries that Fiji has. However, this can not just be a government-
based action; more areas need to be established in accordance with local
indigenous groups, and these areas need to be managed and updated by the
government with local support. As for issues with commercial fishing a stand
needs to be taken on a number of fishing vessels from other countries that can
be allowed to fish in Fijian waters.
Literature Cited