The Fisheries Ministry has received requests to lift the ban on Kawakawa, Donu and sea cucumbers as Fijians need food security.[Source: DLPF]

The Fisheries Ministry has received requests to lift the ban on Kawakawa, Donu and sea cucumbers as Fijians need food security.

Minister Semi Koroilavesau says they understand thousands of Fijians have been affected by COVID-19 and many have turned to fishing as a source of livelihood.

Koroilavesau says while they’ve taken this into consideration, there are also reports of some breaching the ban.

“We’re working through that. We may have to lift the ban a little earlier just to allow people to generate the need for food security and also financial return on that. It has not come through. The ban on BDM – we are working through it as it’s also a source of income for our people but the Ministry is working through it. If there’s anything we have to go back to the cabinet for final approval of the ban because it is legislated now.”

The Minister says reports of dynamite fishing has been also been reported in the Western division – particularly from Rakiraki through to Lautoka.
He has labelled these areas as high risk.

“I receive calls from fishermen that they have found people actually fishing with dynamites then I alerted our officials so they coordinated with the Navy. So they took a navy ship – base it out of Lautoka, boarded our officers and we carried out inspections. The cases are from the Western side. The Western seems to be quite relevant in those cases of dynamite fishing and also BDM cases.”

The seasonal ban on Kawakawa and Donu was gazetted last year to protect them during peak breeding months from June to September.