Creating Permanent Forest Estates for the Benefit of Fiji’s People and Biodiversity.
On the 23rd of March 2010, the NatureFiji-MareqetiViti team was assured support by the Fijian Affairs Board and the fourteen Provincial Councils on our first large project: Creating Permanent Forest Estates for Fiji’s People and Biodiversity during the FAB’s first quarterly meeting for 2010.
Funding for this project was secured in collaboration with the BirdLife International – Pacific Partnership and contributes to the efforts by the Department of Forestry, University of the South Pacific, the Secretariat of Pacific Community and the German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GTZ) on promoting the SPC-GTZ model of community based sustainable forest management in Drawa, Vanua Levu.
Over 80% of Fiji’s land is owned by indigenous landowners (mataqali); and over 99% of our endemic biodiversity is found in our terrestrial ecosystem. For too long, the management of our natural resources have been without the active participation of indigenous landowners.
This has led to the loss of atleast 50% of our forests to unsustainable logging, conversion of forest into agricultural lands, fires and improper land management decisions.
All our endemic species, are considered endangered because of their endemism and occurence in forests that is at threat of disappearing to unwise use.
In 2007 the Fiji Department of Forestry published a new Fiji Forest Policy which is a radical change from timber exploitation to integrated resource management and sustainable forestry.
Through this project we will be able to translate the Fiji Forest Policy (2007) into the Fijian language, and then with the Fiji Department of Forestry, select mataqali whom we will visit for an indepth awareness campaign on the Fiji Forest Policy and the concept of creating Permanent Forest Estates and sustainable forest management.
Through their support, the Fijian Affairs Board and the Ministry of Indigenous Affairs is assuring opportunities for NatureFiji-MareqetiViti to engage with landowners and talk to them about opportunities and alternative resource management available to them through the Fiji Forest Policy (2007).
Now one year into the project. the additional support from the Fiji Department of Forestry, University of the South Pacific, GTZ, SPC, and National Trust of Fiji have already added value to the communication materials being developed for the awareness campaign.
We thank our project funders: the Aage. V. Jensen Charity Foundation, project partner (BirdLife International – Pacific Partnership) and key project stakeholders for their continued collaboration and support for the project.
The project team is due to embark on the first round of awareness in June, 2010.
For more information on the project, please contact the project manager:
Nunia Thomas on:
P: 3100 598
F: 3100 582 or