The district of Nacula in Yasawa has implemented their fisheries management plan to reduce the impact of coral bleaching that has resulted in the reduction of marine life on their coastline.
District Representative of Nacula in Yasawa, Lavenia Naivalu says they have been working on a district sustainable plan that was launched in 2018, and after a series of consultations from village to village, they came up with three sustainable plans.
She says coral bleaching is everywhere in Yasawa, and nowadays, her children have to walk for miles to catch enough fish for their families.
Naivalu says during her grandfather’s days, they would catch mud crabs close to the village and sell them to pay for her father’s education and other items for the family, but now, it is really hard to get a good catch in a day.
She says they have put together a fisheries management plan, and at the moment, they have implemented traditional marine protected areas in front of all the villages and all the resorts in Yasawa.
Naivalu adds that she spoke with the resort owners in their region and told them that they would waive their traditional rights in front of their resorts, and in return, resorts would have to pay a $10 levy per tourist.
She says this will go to their Navatu Tikina Trust, where it will assist in the implementation of their management plan.
She also highlighted that they have been doing coral farming in Yasawa which is expected to resolve their coral issue.
