Page 21 - Islands Business January 2021

Fiji Fiji

tainable fishing methods, habitat destruction and pollution
continue to take a heavy toll on fish stocks.
A four-year assessment (2014-2018) on the spawning po-
tential of 129 inshore species found key stocks across Fiji in
crisis.
The study by the Wildlife Conservation Society (Fiji), Minis-
try of Fisheries, World Wildlife Fund and the University of the
South Pacific (USP), reported:
• More than half the species (17) assessed were below the
internationally-benchmarked size limit.
• Staple species such as grouper and parrotfish were being
caught before they were old enough to spawn, and;
• Over 57% of potential future reef fish yield would be lost
unless better management practices were implemented.
“Our results suggest an urgent need to reform the man-
agement of Fiji’s reef fish stocks so that fish are not caught
before reproducing; that they have had a chance to replace
themselves and keep populations stable,” the report con-
cluded.

Diminishing returns, deceptive appearances
As part of efforts to assess the situation, this Earth Journal-
ism Network-USP Journalism investigation involved a three-
day trip around Viti Levu to meet fishers, fish vendors and
coastal communities. Lautoka fisherman Anish Naidu says authorities rarely conduct checks.
Everywhere the story was the same: increasing costs and
dwindling catches, with fishers having to travel further out for Society (Fiji). Mangubhai identifies the capture of undersized
a reasonable haul. fish as a major contributor to the problem.
“We used to find big fish near the shore and the reef, but During this investigation, it was noticed that the sale of
not anymore,” says Suren Chand, a fisherman from Ba. undersized fish, crabs and seashells was prevalent at most of
Recently, Fiji’s Fisheries Minister, Semi Koroilavesau, cited the selling points on the main island.
studies indicating that in the 1980s, fishers fished for a maxi- Several fish vendors interviewed for this story confirmed
mum of two hours to feed an entire village. that the authorities did not check on size limits, let alone
By 2000, longer hours were needed, even to meet individual enforce them.
household needs. “Small fish is sold openly at the markets,”
During the Viti Levu round trip, little seemed wrong on the said Anish Naidu, who sells his catch at the Lau-
surface. toka city market. “Nobody checks it,” he added.
Numerous fish vendors with abundant stock were encoun- On most days, numerous people can be found catching fish
tered every few kilometers along Fiji’s 500km main highway, no more than a few centimetres in size along the Suva and
selling a variety of species from makeshift stalls, as well as Nasese seawalls.
families hawking from front yards. Dr Anjeela Jokhan, the former Dean at the University of the
Despite the high prices, most vendors reported brisk sales South Pacific’s Faculty of Science, Technology and Environ-
of up to F$300 (US$146) on a good day. ment, says inshore fisheries are less policed because it is
In the town centers, there was abundant stock at the viewed as ‘subsistence’, meaning small money.
vibrant municipal fish markets and inside the freezers of the “But in terms of the direct value on livelihoods, inshore
various supermarkets and smaller corner shops. fisheries is huge,” she says. One recent report puts the total
But looks can be deceiving, with study after study detailing value of inshore fisheries at US$52m (FJ$108.45m) annually.
the consequences of decades of sustained pressure on inshore
fisheries. Strategic approach
According to a 2009 University of British Columbia report, The WCS Fiji Director, Mangubhai, says a holistic approach
70 of Fiji’s approximately 400 qoliqoli areas (traditional fish- is needed to manage reef and coastal fisheries to ensure that
ing grounds) were over-exploited. stocks remain healthy for future generations.
“In Fiji, certain fisheries are in a very bad state due to con- “Fishing is not bad,” she says. “There are stocks you can
tinued overfishing, pollution and bad fishing practices,” says fish at a certain level without depleting or crashing that
Dr Sangeeta Mangubhai, Director of the Wildlife Conservation fishery.

Islands Business, January 2021 21