William Ryder raises concern about unsustainable fishing in the North

Former National 7s player, William Ryder has raised concern about unsustainable fishing in the North.

Ryder who also played rugby in Japan for four years and then played for France for eight years is now relying on fishing for his family's livelihood.

Ryder who is a 4FJ fish smart champion and shared his journey as a fisherman after leaving rugby says in the past, while diving around Nabouwalu Bay, there were so many fish but now they struggle to find fish due to over fishing.

He further says the fish population is low because of the overuse of small-sized fishing nets and other unsustainable fishing practices.

He adds the Nabouwalu Jetty is a well-known spot for an abundance of rabbit fish but now he is lucky to find two or three.

Ryder is advising people to protect our natural resources because we rely on our fishing grounds for our daily needs and we also need to think of our families and future generations on where they will find food and what fish they will eat.

He adds if we keep fishing unsustainably, we will lose the way of life Fijians are known for.