Fiji: Lakeba becomes the third pilot site of the 4FJ programme

The village of b has become the third site to join the 4FJ Learning Site approach, an initiative designed to help communities better monitor the health of their fishing grounds and the marine species they depend on.

Representatives from the Ministry of iTaukei Affairs and the organisation cChange visited the district of Namuka, in Macuata Province, to present the approach. It is based on community discussions (talanoa), enabling fishers and residents to talk about the condition of their fishing areas and identify species that may be at risk.

The next steps will involve formalising community commitments, selecting local“champions” to lead fish catch data collection, and supporting them with resourcehealth reports and recommendations from fisheries experts on practical rules to help restore key species.

The initiative received very positive feedback from local fishers, who welcomed anapproach that allows communities to take the lead in managing their resources.Villages will soon organise small group discussions to decide which species tomonitor, select community champions and plan training in March to begin collecting data.