Sainimili Magimagi 
Minister for Lands and Mineral Resources Filimoni Vosarogo. [Photo: FILE]
After decades of waiting, the traditional owners of Munia Island are set to officially regain control of their ancestral land next month.
Minister for Lands and Mineral Resources Filimoni Vosarogo says the final process, including the establishment of a landowners’ trust, has now been completed ahead of the official handover.
“It’s happening in July, the first week of July, not too far away, and we will be travelling there for the event.”
Munia Island, a 1,110-acre island in Fiji’s northern Lau Group, was sold to an American in the mid-1800s, resulting in the displacement of its traditional landowners to nearby Avea Island, where they have remained for generations.
The government later purchased the freehold title for $450,000 in the 1980s, and under the Land Buyback Scheme introduced by the Rabuka-led government, the landowners spent 36 years raising funds to repay the cost and reclaim ownership of their ancestral land.
The final payment of $56,021.92 was made on November 17 last year, paving the way for the formal title conveyance process.
Today, Munia Island remains inhabited and holds significant potential through its untouched natural surroundings and marine resources, creating opportunities for future development and livelihoods for its people.
