Sivaniolo Lumelume 
The First Nation Fiji Resources Foundation will make a submission to the government to speed up the process of regulating traditional or indigenous knowledge and intellectual property.
Pita Niubalavu, the owner of Oceania Intellectual Property, believes these two programs need to be regulated for the benefit of resource owners.
Niubalavu says that resource owners have been deprived of enjoying the benefits of the program.
This is where issues of intellectual property can assist them, so they already have the resources and may have knowledge. A classical example is Pure Fiji, so the knowledge behind making oil is traditional knowledge.”
First Nation Resources Foundation founder Mereoni Duaibe is optimistic that the government will consider the regulations.
“The foundation will support any move to protect our people and also help our people to monetize their natural resources, their traditional knowledge, designs, intellectual property, or anything that has to do with developing our people.”
The foundation believes the regulation of traditional knowledge and intellectual property will protect indigenous rights and also help empower them economically.
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