Join In! Incredible Fiji Ploughs with Strength through Choppy Seas
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| Image composed of Fiji night shore plankton and Resort Diving Venture |
On September 9 a growing and inspiring Star from Fiji Reefs reported...
“In the hours before the official opening of the IUCN World Conservation Congress, the Governor of Hawai’i and the Kahanamoku and Paoa families welcomed the Pacific Island leaders from Fiji, Cook Islands, Solomon Islands and Federated States of Micronesia on Waikiki Beach. Together they celebrated the Moana Pasifika Voyage, which is “a voyage for the Pacific Ocean, by our ohana (family) in Hawai’i who sail for action on climate change and a sustainable Pacific Ocean. The voyage delivers the voice of our communities and the lessons learned through our traditional to help chart a course to a safer future.” These were the words of Dr. Sangeeta Mangubhai at Hawaii. Who is she? We will get back to that later.
We all know the story...President Obama just created the largest protected area on Earth by expanding Hawaiian National Papahānaumokuāke Marine Monument. But do you know when and where the momentum to create this ocean monument really picked up speed ramped down the line?
It was February this year when Fiji was hit by the worst Cyclone registered in the Southern Hemisphere. Cyclone Winston left 44 dead, 40 thousand people requiring immediate assistance, destroyed 30 thousand homes, 495 schools and 88 medical facilities.
In midst of this hell and a 30 Day Government installed State of Emergency local Fiji Diver/Environment/Government Advisor Dr. Sangeeta Mangubhai dived into Fiji´s ocean to conduct a Reef Damage Evaluation Mission. Why? Fiji depends on reefs for food security and economy through eco-tourism.
Just hours after Dr. Sangeeta Mangubhai blasted away her findings -revealing that despite the Cyclone had caused damages the reefs of Fiji could and would recover she was awarded the Award 2016 World Reef Award for her work conducted with the WCS Wildlife Conservation Society Fiji by the International Society for Reef Studies.
At the same time the International Society of Reef Studies announced the 13th Annual Symposium for International Reef Experts which would be held in Honolulu Hawaii this year.
Dr. Mangubhai attended that Symposium in Hawaii along with thousands of international reef coral experts. It was at the Symposium where scientists pressed for the expansion of the National Monument by signing in agreement a detailed proposal for the expansion of the National Monument Papahānaumokuāke. The proposal was presented by the Governor of Hawaii to President Obama. International press coverage and the support of most of the most recognized International ocean continued. And then bang the magic happened…a few weeks later President Obama signed for the expansion. A strange string of events which draw from Cyclone Winston impacts on Fiji.
Today Dr. Mangubhai still continues to work humbly but with strength for her people who are still recovering from the Cyclone devastation. On September 9 she spoke about the IUCN World Conservation Congress which she attended. President Obama was also there -the event was also homed in Hawaii. Did they cross each other? Had a word or two? We don't know. What we do know is that Dr. Mangubhai is deeply focused and connected to the Pacific Islanders.
“Pacific Islanders have a deep connection to the ocean that spans millennia. Their ancestors were inspirational navigators who sailed across the Pacific, using their immense knowledge of the ocean, the stars and the elements as their guide,” Dr. Mangubhai spoke about the connection shared between all Pacific Island dwellers.
Dr. Mangubhai detailed during and after the IUCN Meeting how Fiji is working towards meeting the 2030 goals and integrating policies for climate change resilience. Recovery is a long road but Fiji has been on its feet for months now and working with a smile.
PADI PROS Oceania assured on August 22 that the Island is Stronger than Cyclone Winston! The international dive organization ran a report on the recovery of dive resorts key for the Island's economy.
“One thing that amazes me is how the Fijian people and the people who now call Fiji home have dealt with the aftermath of Winston. They really are an extremely resilient bunch of people, rebuilding homes and businesses with the most amazing attitude and a smile on their faces!” the PADI diver/reporter explained.
“Several Dive Resorts were forced to close while they assessed the damage and made plans to rebuild. While there were a few areas hit hard, a large part of the dive industry here in Fiji was not impacted and resorts were open for business as soon as the weather cleared up. Unfortunately with travel warnings and media coverage in the international news the tourist numbers declined, impacting those businesses reliant on the tourist dollar. This was frustrating to those in areas which were open for business as usual,” PADI explains.
The organization assures that today Fiji is still amazing and that while some reefs sustained damage in small amounts the majority is still as healthy as ever.
One of these resorts told their story. Resort Paradise Taveuni had to face a complete rebuild which lasted 3 months. The Resort rebuilt the site along with the community working. Today the resort is reopening.
“A total of 40,000 homes were damaged or destroyed and approximately 350,000 people -roughly 40 % of Fiji’s population were significantly impacted by the storm. Many PADI Members jumped into action straight away and began fundraising and helping those that needed it,” PADI recalls the days after the storm.
“So, you may be thinking “how can I help?” Fiji is most certainly open for business, the diving is still amazing, whether you are interested in sharks, soft corals, manta rays, amazing coral reefs -it really is all here for the taking!” PADI today calls for international divers to help restore the ecotourism sector so needed by the Island.
But others in Fiji say that the Cyclone's aftermath is not the only problem. On August 29 Mission Blue assured that global coral bleaching is their main focus.
“Over the last three years, coral reefs worldwide have suffered unprecedented damage to coral communities from abnormally warm seawater temperatures. When the US National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration NOAA announced the third global coral bleaching event in October 2015, shallow reef areas along Fiji’s Coral Coast had already experienced two back-to-back years of widespread coral bleaching,” Mission Blue explained the initial 2016 Global Bleaching Events.
“Before we received the depressing news about our local reefs, we decided to take action and incorporate lessons learned from previous bleaching events and seawater temperature monitoring efforts,” the organization taking hands on the issue decided to take to nurseries to produce resilient reefs.
Ocean health -as mentioned before is a pillar for Fiji not only from an ecotourism point of view but provides ways of life for local islanders as it has done for centuries. They depend on the ocean resources for food, health and economy. For them the ocean is their life.
Yashika Nand working with Wildlife Conservation Society WCS spoke about a preliminary mud-crab stock evaluation. “Mud crabs are a popular dish in Fiji,” Nand spoke of the importance of the specie for locals. Mud-crab economy is strong but specie stocks information is not detailed.
Trying to set out to prove if stocks of mudcrabs have been depleted in regions where they were reported to be everyday more scarce the WCS set out to answer this and other questions.
“There is a general perception that stocks around Viti Levu have been depleted while those in Vanua Levu are still healthy. However, we don’t have any data to verify this perception. We also do not know if we are harvesting too many female crabs with eggs or too many undersized crabs. How many crabs do we need in a mangrove forest to enable the local population to continue and thrive? These were some of the questions the WCS are fishing for answers for,” the WCS expert Nand explained.
WCS working with the Fiji Locally Managed Marine Area Networks and the Department of Fisheries had to take to Mangrove areas, Coral Reefs and intertidal mudflats to investigate the specie abundance and health.
Their analysis showed that mudcrabs in Fiji studied areas are slighted lower than those documented in New Caledonia and Australia but they recognized their numbers could be off because looking for crabs in Mangrove areas is extremely hard.
“...the surveys conducted are a good baseline for understanding the status of the stocks and the fishery, especially if we link it to catch rates and volumes by local fishers. And most importantly, the surveys allow us to engage directly with mud crab fishers to help them assess the stocks in their mangrove forests,” WCS concluded.
The truth is that Fiji is working several evaluation programs to assess fishery stocks for different species because they depend on them for a domestic healthy balance.
“Understanding what state the stocks are in, is a good first step to understanding what management measures need to be in place to ensure the fishery is sustainable for the long-term, and Fijians can keep eating the mud crabs they love!” WCS explained what it is all about.
Dr. Sangeeta Mangubhai speaking from the IUCN meeting revealed that she is looking to better the Fiji situation using every tool available. She sees strength in using green taxes, subsidies and fiscal policies to incentive the environment and the economy.
For her mining, fisheries, agriculture, transport, waste management, urban development and tourism are all connected.
“Taxes and subsidies if applied incorrectly can lead to increase resource use, increase in emissions and natural resource degradation, which can quickly become large problems for small island developing states,” Dr. Mangubhai working closely with the government of Fiji says.
“As a Pacific Islander I want to see my country develop but not if the cost is the loss of our rich biodiversity and our quality of life. I don’t want to live in a Fiji without its endemic birds and iguanas, traditional plants and medicine and wild places like the Vatu-i-Ra Seascape. I am proud that Fiji has a National Green Growth Framework, but I worry that this framework makes little reference to the removal of perverse taxes and subsidies,” the Dr. said at Hawaii.
It is about balance between developing and conservation. Dive Resorts still play a major part in this balance.
Dive Newswire reported on another Dive resort which is about to reopen and assures it will offer those travelling an opportunity to “Rediscover Fiji´s Pristine Reefs”:
The Volivoli Beach Resort was hit hard by Cyclone Winston as well. Since the storm it had to remain closed.
“However, the resilient staff and determination of the Darling family have helped to fuel a strong recovery effort. As a result, the resort is targeted for re-opening on 1 November,” Dive Newswire reported.
Diving reporter Gareth Bellamy of Dive New Zealand/Dive Pacific went down to the Resort to check it out first hand weeks before it is scheduled to reopen.
“I wasn’t sure what to expect at the Resort, or the condition of the reefs post-cyclone, and was prepared for the worst. Arriving at Volivoli Beach Resort I was pleasantly surprised,“ Diver/Reporter Bellamy wrote.
Despite recognizing still visible aftermath damages he also recognized hard work conducted and pristine conditions.
“Any concerns we may have had vanished...coral stack...walls down to 60 meters covered in every kind of soft coral and colour you can imagine...a photographer’s dream both wide-angle and macro -just amazing!” Bellamy who still after 33 years of diving amazes at Fiji dive life.
But what will the recovery of resorts of reefs be worth if another natural disaster hits Fiji?
“62% of the population was impacted by Cyclone Winston,” Dr. Mangubhai explained and recognized it could happen again.
Dr. Mangubhai explained that to keep Fiji strong and for ocean life to keep striving Fiji must Integrate Environment into Disaster Recovery for Resilient Solutions.
With the WCS Dr. Mangubhai has been working with local communities, the Department of Fisheries and partners and others to instal a recovery management plan. The idea is to guide recovery and create policies which will allow Fiji to deal with new natural disasters.
WCS studied the impact of Cyclone Winston on; fisheries-dependent communities, on fishing infrastructure (e.g. boats, engines and gear) and came up with a monetary estimate to guide the government's recovery efforts. They also identified villages which will require more aid due to damages. The report will be released soon.
“Extreme events like Cyclone Winston are likely to become more frequent if we cannot make significant progress globally to address climate change. But those of us in the Pacific cannot afford to wait. We need to ensure that protecting the environment is a core part of reducing our risk to natural disasters and climate change,” Dr. Mangubhai kicked it.
Dr. Mangubhai is fortunately not alone in her mission to recover Fiji 100%. There are numerous organizations each working their own focus. For Mission Blue the work at hand is Coral Nurseries to fight bleaching. They explained how changes in ocean chemistry can lead to bleaching and just how committed they are to reverse impacts.
“It was hard not to cry in our masks as we swam through the devastation that had occurred on the reef before our very eyes over a matter of weeks. The 6,058 corals that survived were able to transplanted back to the reef, giving us hope for the future of our reef. Our goal is to promote the reproductive success of the more heat-tolerant strains of corals when they spawn. We hope that our gardening will assist coral populations on the reef to more rapidly adapt to the warming ocean temperatures,” Mission Blue still working the waters said.
In all this mix up you might be wondering how you can chip in and join in the Fiji cause? There are also numerous International Diving and Non-diving organizations which offer volunteer opportunities. So why not Join in?
The Frontier Fiji Reef Conservation Project is one of these programs and calls for anyone interested to join them.
“The aim of Frontier-Fiji Reef Conservation Project is to better understand the marine resources of the island of Beqa, and to provide teaching and training to enable local communities to make informed decisions regarding the management of their coastal ecosystems,” they explain.
Anyone joining in will not only conduct key scientific underwater work and connect with locals for a life-time experience but explore the incredible environments of Fiji.
“Whilst diving, you'll see an extraordinary array of animals from turtles to manta rays, sea cucumbers to feathery starfish, spiny urchins to octopus and jellyfish. When you motor out each day on the Frontier boats to distant dive sites you may even encounter gigantic manta rays, sharks, humpback whales or flying fish. By the end of your project you will be expert at identifying vast numbers of colourful and patterned reef fish as well as being an experienced and competent diver,” Frontiers calls...who could turn down that kind of life?
“In the hours before the official opening of the IUCN World Conservation Congress, the Governor of Hawai’i and the Kahanamoku and Paoa families welcomed the Pacific Island leaders from Fiji, Cook Islands, Solomon Islands and Federated States of Micronesia on Waikiki Beach. Together they celebrated the Moana Pasifika Voyage, which is “a voyage for the Pacific Ocean, by our ohana (family) in Hawai’i who sail for action on climate change and a sustainable Pacific Ocean. The voyage delivers the voice of our communities and the lessons learned through our traditional to help chart a course to a safer future.” These were the words of Dr. Sangeeta Mangubhai at Hawaii. Who is she? We will get back to that later.
We all know the story...President Obama just created the largest protected area on Earth by expanding Hawaiian National Papahānaumokuāke Marine Monument. But do you know when and where the momentum to create this ocean monument really picked up speed ramped down the line?
It was February this year when Fiji was hit by the worst Cyclone registered in the Southern Hemisphere. Cyclone Winston left 44 dead, 40 thousand people requiring immediate assistance, destroyed 30 thousand homes, 495 schools and 88 medical facilities.
In midst of this hell and a 30 Day Government installed State of Emergency local Fiji Diver/Environment/Government Advisor Dr. Sangeeta Mangubhai dived into Fiji´s ocean to conduct a Reef Damage Evaluation Mission. Why? Fiji depends on reefs for food security and economy through eco-tourism.
Just hours after Dr. Sangeeta Mangubhai blasted away her findings -revealing that despite the Cyclone had caused damages the reefs of Fiji could and would recover she was awarded the Award 2016 World Reef Award for her work conducted with the WCS Wildlife Conservation Society Fiji by the International Society for Reef Studies.
At the same time the International Society of Reef Studies announced the 13th Annual Symposium for International Reef Experts which would be held in Honolulu Hawaii this year.
Dr. Mangubhai attended that Symposium in Hawaii along with thousands of international reef coral experts. It was at the Symposium where scientists pressed for the expansion of the National Monument by signing in agreement a detailed proposal for the expansion of the National Monument Papahānaumokuāke. The proposal was presented by the Governor of Hawaii to President Obama. International press coverage and the support of most of the most recognized International ocean continued. And then bang the magic happened…a few weeks later President Obama signed for the expansion. A strange string of events which draw from Cyclone Winston impacts on Fiji.
Today Dr. Mangubhai still continues to work humbly but with strength for her people who are still recovering from the Cyclone devastation. On September 9 she spoke about the IUCN World Conservation Congress which she attended. President Obama was also there -the event was also homed in Hawaii. Did they cross each other? Had a word or two? We don't know. What we do know is that Dr. Mangubhai is deeply focused and connected to the Pacific Islanders.
“Pacific Islanders have a deep connection to the ocean that spans millennia. Their ancestors were inspirational navigators who sailed across the Pacific, using their immense knowledge of the ocean, the stars and the elements as their guide,” Dr. Mangubhai spoke about the connection shared between all Pacific Island dwellers.
Dr. Mangubhai detailed during and after the IUCN Meeting how Fiji is working towards meeting the 2030 goals and integrating policies for climate change resilience. Recovery is a long road but Fiji has been on its feet for months now and working with a smile.
PADI PROS Oceania assured on August 22 that the Island is Stronger than Cyclone Winston! The international dive organization ran a report on the recovery of dive resorts key for the Island's economy.
“One thing that amazes me is how the Fijian people and the people who now call Fiji home have dealt with the aftermath of Winston. They really are an extremely resilient bunch of people, rebuilding homes and businesses with the most amazing attitude and a smile on their faces!” the PADI diver/reporter explained.
“Several Dive Resorts were forced to close while they assessed the damage and made plans to rebuild. While there were a few areas hit hard, a large part of the dive industry here in Fiji was not impacted and resorts were open for business as soon as the weather cleared up. Unfortunately with travel warnings and media coverage in the international news the tourist numbers declined, impacting those businesses reliant on the tourist dollar. This was frustrating to those in areas which were open for business as usual,” PADI explains.
The organization assures that today Fiji is still amazing and that while some reefs sustained damage in small amounts the majority is still as healthy as ever.
One of these resorts told their story. Resort Paradise Taveuni had to face a complete rebuild which lasted 3 months. The Resort rebuilt the site along with the community working. Today the resort is reopening.
“A total of 40,000 homes were damaged or destroyed and approximately 350,000 people -roughly 40 % of Fiji’s population were significantly impacted by the storm. Many PADI Members jumped into action straight away and began fundraising and helping those that needed it,” PADI recalls the days after the storm.
“So, you may be thinking “how can I help?” Fiji is most certainly open for business, the diving is still amazing, whether you are interested in sharks, soft corals, manta rays, amazing coral reefs -it really is all here for the taking!” PADI today calls for international divers to help restore the ecotourism sector so needed by the Island.
But others in Fiji say that the Cyclone's aftermath is not the only problem. On August 29 Mission Blue assured that global coral bleaching is their main focus.
“Over the last three years, coral reefs worldwide have suffered unprecedented damage to coral communities from abnormally warm seawater temperatures. When the US National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration NOAA announced the third global coral bleaching event in October 2015, shallow reef areas along Fiji’s Coral Coast had already experienced two back-to-back years of widespread coral bleaching,” Mission Blue explained the initial 2016 Global Bleaching Events.
“Before we received the depressing news about our local reefs, we decided to take action and incorporate lessons learned from previous bleaching events and seawater temperature monitoring efforts,” the organization taking hands on the issue decided to take to nurseries to produce resilient reefs.
Ocean health -as mentioned before is a pillar for Fiji not only from an ecotourism point of view but provides ways of life for local islanders as it has done for centuries. They depend on the ocean resources for food, health and economy. For them the ocean is their life.
Yashika Nand working with Wildlife Conservation Society WCS spoke about a preliminary mud-crab stock evaluation. “Mud crabs are a popular dish in Fiji,” Nand spoke of the importance of the specie for locals. Mud-crab economy is strong but specie stocks information is not detailed.
Trying to set out to prove if stocks of mudcrabs have been depleted in regions where they were reported to be everyday more scarce the WCS set out to answer this and other questions.
“There is a general perception that stocks around Viti Levu have been depleted while those in Vanua Levu are still healthy. However, we don’t have any data to verify this perception. We also do not know if we are harvesting too many female crabs with eggs or too many undersized crabs. How many crabs do we need in a mangrove forest to enable the local population to continue and thrive? These were some of the questions the WCS are fishing for answers for,” the WCS expert Nand explained.
WCS working with the Fiji Locally Managed Marine Area Networks and the Department of Fisheries had to take to Mangrove areas, Coral Reefs and intertidal mudflats to investigate the specie abundance and health.
Their analysis showed that mudcrabs in Fiji studied areas are slighted lower than those documented in New Caledonia and Australia but they recognized their numbers could be off because looking for crabs in Mangrove areas is extremely hard.
“...the surveys conducted are a good baseline for understanding the status of the stocks and the fishery, especially if we link it to catch rates and volumes by local fishers. And most importantly, the surveys allow us to engage directly with mud crab fishers to help them assess the stocks in their mangrove forests,” WCS concluded.
The truth is that Fiji is working several evaluation programs to assess fishery stocks for different species because they depend on them for a domestic healthy balance.
“Understanding what state the stocks are in, is a good first step to understanding what management measures need to be in place to ensure the fishery is sustainable for the long-term, and Fijians can keep eating the mud crabs they love!” WCS explained what it is all about.
Dr. Sangeeta Mangubhai speaking from the IUCN meeting revealed that she is looking to better the Fiji situation using every tool available. She sees strength in using green taxes, subsidies and fiscal policies to incentive the environment and the economy.
For her mining, fisheries, agriculture, transport, waste management, urban development and tourism are all connected.
“Taxes and subsidies if applied incorrectly can lead to increase resource use, increase in emissions and natural resource degradation, which can quickly become large problems for small island developing states,” Dr. Mangubhai working closely with the government of Fiji says.
“As a Pacific Islander I want to see my country develop but not if the cost is the loss of our rich biodiversity and our quality of life. I don’t want to live in a Fiji without its endemic birds and iguanas, traditional plants and medicine and wild places like the Vatu-i-Ra Seascape. I am proud that Fiji has a National Green Growth Framework, but I worry that this framework makes little reference to the removal of perverse taxes and subsidies,” the Dr. said at Hawaii.
It is about balance between developing and conservation. Dive Resorts still play a major part in this balance.
Dive Newswire reported on another Dive resort which is about to reopen and assures it will offer those travelling an opportunity to “Rediscover Fiji´s Pristine Reefs”:
The Volivoli Beach Resort was hit hard by Cyclone Winston as well. Since the storm it had to remain closed.
“However, the resilient staff and determination of the Darling family have helped to fuel a strong recovery effort. As a result, the resort is targeted for re-opening on 1 November,” Dive Newswire reported.
Diving reporter Gareth Bellamy of Dive New Zealand/Dive Pacific went down to the Resort to check it out first hand weeks before it is scheduled to reopen.
“I wasn’t sure what to expect at the Resort, or the condition of the reefs post-cyclone, and was prepared for the worst. Arriving at Volivoli Beach Resort I was pleasantly surprised,“ Diver/Reporter Bellamy wrote.
Despite recognizing still visible aftermath damages he also recognized hard work conducted and pristine conditions.
“Any concerns we may have had vanished...coral stack...walls down to 60 meters covered in every kind of soft coral and colour you can imagine...a photographer’s dream both wide-angle and macro -just amazing!” Bellamy who still after 33 years of diving amazes at Fiji dive life.
But what will the recovery of resorts of reefs be worth if another natural disaster hits Fiji?
“62% of the population was impacted by Cyclone Winston,” Dr. Mangubhai explained and recognized it could happen again.
Dr. Mangubhai explained that to keep Fiji strong and for ocean life to keep striving Fiji must Integrate Environment into Disaster Recovery for Resilient Solutions.
With the WCS Dr. Mangubhai has been working with local communities, the Department of Fisheries and partners and others to instal a recovery management plan. The idea is to guide recovery and create policies which will allow Fiji to deal with new natural disasters.
WCS studied the impact of Cyclone Winston on; fisheries-dependent communities, on fishing infrastructure (e.g. boats, engines and gear) and came up with a monetary estimate to guide the government's recovery efforts. They also identified villages which will require more aid due to damages. The report will be released soon.
“Extreme events like Cyclone Winston are likely to become more frequent if we cannot make significant progress globally to address climate change. But those of us in the Pacific cannot afford to wait. We need to ensure that protecting the environment is a core part of reducing our risk to natural disasters and climate change,” Dr. Mangubhai kicked it.
Dr. Mangubhai is fortunately not alone in her mission to recover Fiji 100%. There are numerous organizations each working their own focus. For Mission Blue the work at hand is Coral Nurseries to fight bleaching. They explained how changes in ocean chemistry can lead to bleaching and just how committed they are to reverse impacts.
“It was hard not to cry in our masks as we swam through the devastation that had occurred on the reef before our very eyes over a matter of weeks. The 6,058 corals that survived were able to transplanted back to the reef, giving us hope for the future of our reef. Our goal is to promote the reproductive success of the more heat-tolerant strains of corals when they spawn. We hope that our gardening will assist coral populations on the reef to more rapidly adapt to the warming ocean temperatures,” Mission Blue still working the waters said.
In all this mix up you might be wondering how you can chip in and join in the Fiji cause? There are also numerous International Diving and Non-diving organizations which offer volunteer opportunities. So why not Join in?
The Frontier Fiji Reef Conservation Project is one of these programs and calls for anyone interested to join them.
“The aim of Frontier-Fiji Reef Conservation Project is to better understand the marine resources of the island of Beqa, and to provide teaching and training to enable local communities to make informed decisions regarding the management of their coastal ecosystems,” they explain.
Anyone joining in will not only conduct key scientific underwater work and connect with locals for a life-time experience but explore the incredible environments of Fiji.
“Whilst diving, you'll see an extraordinary array of animals from turtles to manta rays, sea cucumbers to feathery starfish, spiny urchins to octopus and jellyfish. When you motor out each day on the Frontier boats to distant dive sites you may even encounter gigantic manta rays, sharks, humpback whales or flying fish. By the end of your project you will be expert at identifying vast numbers of colourful and patterned reef fish as well as being an experienced and competent diver,” Frontiers calls...who could turn down that kind of life?
