Naselai Village in Nakelo is taking a big step toward food security and sustainable livelihoods with the launch of the Biofloc Brackish Water Shrimp Tank Culture System under the government’s Aquaculture Development Program.
Village Headman Savenaca Delai told fijivillage News that their 7-acre land area is not enough for the many people living there, forcing most people to rely heavily on seafood.
He says they have been waiting for years for such a development.
Delai welcomed the government’s assistance, which will enable villagers to farm prawns, tilapia, and other fish species using a clean, closed-loop system that recycles nutrients and runs on solar energy.
Minister for Fisheries and Forest Alitia Banivalu says the project, funded under the 2024–2025 Food Security Program Assistance, will serve both commercial production and research, including hatchery work to supply farmers with baby prawns and fish for consistent growth.
She says the initiative will also provide training for youth and women in aquaculture and small business development, and promised to raise the village’s land concerns with the Ministry of Lands.
Banivalu urged all members of the community — chiefs, elders, youth, and women — to work together to ensure the project’s long-term success.
