18 students, including four women, graduated with a Certificate in Deckhand and Fishing at the Fiji National University Pacific Centre of Maritime Studies today.
Pacific Centre for Maritime Studies Director, Captain Hanre Sagaitu acknowledged the World Wide Fund for Nature Fiji for supporting the students financially and also the graduates for their commitment to lifelong learning.
Sagaitu says the Certificate will qualify them to join any vessel in the duty of deckhands for the fisheries sector and can also enable them to further their education at the Pacific Centre for Maritime Studies.
Interim Conservation Program Lead for the World Wide Fund for Nature Fiji, Duncan Williams, congratulated 18 graduating students, four of whom are women and six with prior industry experience.
William says the program is funded by the World Wide Fund for Nature-UK and delivered in partnership with Pacific Centre Maritime Studies, the Fiji Fishing Industry Association, and the Ministry of Fisheries.
William highlighted the program has the purpose of safeguarding the nesting populations of sea turtles in Fiji.
He says the scholarship covered tuition, meals, and travel allowances for the students.
He adds this is part of a larger effort to reduce sea turtles, sharks, and rays by catching and fostering a generation of fishers who understand that protecting marine biodiversity is not only possible but essential.
William thanked the students for their dedication, determination, and perseverance, which have brought them this far.
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