The Ministry is now relying on support from development partners and donors to help implement the newly launched National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan. [Photo: RIYA MALA]

Growing funding challenges are threatening Fiji’s ability to achieve its ambitious biodiversity and marine conservation goals by 2030.

Principal Environment Officer at the Ministry of Environment, Krishneel Nand, says limited funding remains one of the biggest challenges in implementing conservation programmes and achieving biodiversity targets.

Nand says stronger financial support is needed for ecosystem restoration, species protection, and monitoring and enforcement efforts.

The Ministry is now relying on support from development partners and donors to help implement the newly launched National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan.

“So, biodiversity conservation not only requires awareness, it requires funding. We are tapping into our partners and donors to finance the implementation of our goals and targets under the NBSEP. In the discussions, some presentations also highlighted species that need protection at both the international and regional level.”

Nand says the Ministry is strengthening protection for sharks, turtles, and other endangered species.

World Wide Fund Head of Partnerships and Programme Development, Izhaar Ali, says oceans remain under threat from climate change and human activities, and conservation corridors can help strengthen protection efforts.

“Well, firstly, we hope that the blue corridors would be able to support Fiji’s NBSEP, or the revised NBSEP that Francis and many of you in the room have been working on. It would be a dedicated protected site, and thus,s we hope that it contributes to Fiji’s 30 by 30 targets. I understand that these conversations have become very sensitive with the Ministry of Fisheries and so on.”

Ali says greater regional cooperation and stronger conservation efforts are needed to safeguard the ocean for future generations.