News

Workshop to protect million dollar resource begins

July 14, 2015 1:19 am

Stakeholders from Ra, Lomaiviti, Tailevu and Bua provinces are mapping out important biological, ecological social and economic features of the Vatu-i-Ra Seascape.

Permanent Secretary for Fisheries, Inoke Wainiqolo says the annual economic value of fisheries and tourism in the Vatu-i-Ra Seascape is about $71 million.

“Unless we make sure we balance the use of the area through adaptive management strategies and managing the impacts and developing a vision for sustainable resource use we will lose the things that we value.”

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The Vatu-i-Ra seascape covers the sea area including islands of Ovalau, Gau, Koro, the coastal areas along Rakiraki, Korovou and Nabouwalu on Vanua Levu.

Participants will start to identify areas which could be potentially set as Marine Managed areas.

This will allow users to continue to use the seascape while putting in place sustainable management measures.

The workshop is organised by the Wildlife Conservation Society of Fiji.