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The islands of Fiji provide one of the world’s mostoutstanding tropical marine environments, attractingescalating numbers of tourists and marine resource usersfrom around the world every year. Fiji comprises of around844 high islands, cays and islets, occupying an area ofaround 1.3 million sq km. The extent and remoteness of

its shallow tropical marine habitats, from oceanic reefs tonear-shore fringing reefs, mangrove forests, seagrassbeds, lagoons, estuaries and deep oceanic drop offs, makeit an area of high marine biodiversity, with many speciesunique to Fiji. Fiji is also home to the Great Sea Reef, thethird longest barrier reef in the world.

“ ”Safeguarding our natural environment is central to safeguarding

our valued way of life

Spinner Dolphin © WWF-Canon / Cat Holloway Hammerhead shark © WWF-Canon / Cat Holloway Manta Ray © Cat Holloway Humphead Wrasse © WWF-Canon / Cindy Cheng

Humphead Wrass © WWF-Canon / Cindy Cheng

It is estimated that there are around1,000 coral reefs in Fiji, covering10,000 sq km – representing around 3-4 per cent of the world’s coral reefs.Encompassed within this vibrantecological framework are nearly 400known species of coral, more than1,200 varieties of fish, and a multitudeof invertebrates. Fiji is also home tosome unique marine and coastalspecies, such as the endemic Fiji petrel(Pseudobulweria macgillivrayi), theendangered humphead wrasse(Cheilinus undulates), now protectedunder CITES Appendix 1, and theworld’s largest parrot fish, thebumphead parrot fish (Bolbometoponmuricatum).Five of the seven species of marineturtle migrate through Fiji’s waters.Green (Chelonia mydas) and hawksbill(Eretmochelys imbricata) turtles, inparticular, use the sheltered waters asimportant feeding and breedinggrounds. The warm waters are alsoimportant migratory routes for 12species of cetacean. Four of thesespecies, the blue whale (Balaenoptera

musculus), sei whale (Balaenopteraborealis), the humpback whale(Megaptera novaeangliae) and spermwhale (Physeter macrocephalus), areconsidered to be endangered orvulnerable. In 2003, the Fijigovernment offered protection to thesespecies by declaring Fiji’s territorialwaters as a whale sanctuary.

Fijians have important traditionalrelationship with the sea, reflectedin their lifestyles, customs, traditionalknowledge and history. Around80 per cent of the population liveon the coast and rely heavily onmarine resources for food, livelihoodsand cash income. Marine resourcesare also used for minerals,pharmaceuticals, construction materialand a vast range of useful products.The major sources of economic growthand livelihood are fisheries, the thirdlargest export industry accounting for1.5 per cent of GDP, and the tourismsector, which accounts for 17 per centof the GDP.

Like many island ecosystems, Fiji’smarine biodiversity faces the growingthreat of over-fishing, unsustainablefishing practices, unregulatedextraction of other marine resources,land-based pollution, increasingsedimentation from logging and poorland-use practices, climate change andassociated coral bleaching, as well asincreasing tourism and urbanisation. In some Fijian communities, manypopular varieties of edible mollusc andinvertebrates are already facing thelocal extinction. In addition, marineenvironment is continuously impactedthrough natural events, such ascyclones. The cumulative effects ofthese impacts, coupled with thedependence of Fiji’s coastalcommunities on marine resources andlimited alternative livelihood optionsare putting increasing pressure on themarine environment. The need tomanage the Fiji Islands MarineEcoregion (FIME) sustainably and inan integrated way is becomingincreasingly imperative.

Nature at the centre ofFiji’s way of life

A wealth of marine life Threats to the marineenvironment of Fiji

Marine life on the Great Sea Reef, Ron Vave, 2004.

1. Cakaulevu, or the Great SeaReef, Vanua Levu, is the third longest barrier reef in the world, with an exceptional level of endemism and intact systems of lagoons, channels, mangroves andseagrass habitats.

2. Lomaiviti Triangle (VatuiraChannel-Ovalau-Makogai-Wakaya Channel) is a deep water channel unique in the South Pacific. It supports intact and diverse habitats and species. It is also a known migratory route for whales, with the island of Gau known to be an important breeding area for humpback whales.

3. Namenalala is a marineprotected area located at abarrier reef system to the southof Vanua Levu. It is a knownmigratory route for open oceanspecies, such as whales, turtlesand dolphins, and is a significantturtle nesting site. Namenalala isthought to be the last remainingnesting area in Fiji for hawksbillturtles.

4. Southern Lau Group is a regionof isolated limestone and oceanicatoll islands with a range ofhabitats including seagrass,oceanic patch reefs andextensive barrier reef systems.The isolated oceanic conditionsassociated provide a distinct rangeof habitats, providing important breeding and nesting areas for green and hawksbill turtles and theendemic clam (Tridacna tevoroa). The deep sea drop-off to the east of Lau is an important migratory route for whales.

5. Rotuma is an isolated volcanic island northwest of the main Fiji Group. Isolated oceanographic conditions create a distinct range of habitats and species, with high endemism and uniqueness. The blue coral, Heliopora, is limited in Fiji waters and is concentrated inRotuma.

Assessing and prioritising the biodiversity of the FijiIslands Marine Ecoregion

Taking an ecoregional approach to marine conservation in Fiji

WWF is facilitating an ecoregionalapproach towards the tackling theconservation and sustainablemanagement of Fiji’s marineenvironment. Ecoregion conservationis a process that supportsconservation planning and action at aregional scale; the overarching goalbeing to conserve and restore thefullest possible range of biodiversityover large spatial and temporalscales. It provides a mechanism forkey stakeholders and sectors to place

biodiversity conservation in thecontext of social and economic needsand opportunities, while respecting theneed to protect outstanding naturalfeatures and preserve local lifestylesand livelihoods. Most importantly, itprovides a basis for establishingpriorities. In short, understanding thebiological importance of an area or therarity of a biological unit helps us todetermine the urgency of actionneeded.

In 2003, more than 80 representativesand experts from the scientificcommunity, government and non-government organisations, localcommunities and other key marineresource user groups were convened byWWF to discuss the importance of,and to gather current scientific andanecdotal information on, thebiodiversity and threats to Fiji’s marineenvironment. Areas of global, nationalor local importance were identifiedaccording to their unique biological,geological or cultural attributes.Thirty-five priority conservation areas(PCAs) were identified and agreed by

stakeholders, five of which wereconsidered to be globally important, 15of national importance (mainly nationalfisheries areas) and 15 of sub-regionalimportance. These 35 areas attempt tocapture the full range of marinebiodiversity, species, and communitiesthat makes FIME unique and that, ifconserved, will contribute tomaintaining the integrity of the wholeof the Fiji’s marine systems. Furtherresearch and review will be necessaryover time to ensure that all the keyhabitats and species are included infurther prioritisation exercises.

Sites of globalimportance

Participants at the WWF Biodiversity VisioningWorkshop, 2004.

Establishing marine protected areas(MPAs) is an excellent means ofprotecting biological diversity.In January 2005, following intenselobbying by WWF and partners, theFijian government declared itsintention to implement a network ofMPAs in Fiji’s Exclusion EconomicZone (EEZ). Consequently, “by 2020at least30 per cent of Fiji’s inshore andoffshore marine areas (I qoliqoli) willcome under a comprehensive,ecological representative networkof MPAs, which are effectivelymanaged and financed”.This commitment will contributesignificantly to the global targets forMPA implementation, such as thoseunder the Convention of BiologicalDiversity (CBD) and the JohannesburgPlan of Action (JPOA).Rolling out this commitment willrequire significant consolidation of

efforts with partners, includingcommunities, governments(provincial and national), fishingindustry, NGOs and other interestedparties, not least to identify whateach is doing towards thedevelopment and implementation ofa network of MPAs.The initial stage in this process is todevelop a plan of action for theprogramme of work required toimplement a network of MPAs. Thiswas developed by stakeholders inOctober 2005.Implementing this commitment willalso require further identificationand assessment of potential MPAsites.The WWF facilitated biodiversityworkshop in 2003 initiated theprocess of mapping out biodiversityrich areas in the marineenvironment.

Information regarding the majorityof Fiji’s marine biodiversity and itsdistribution is far fromcomprehensive, however, and manyareas are yet to be surveyed. It isessential to consolidate and expandthis knowledge, as well as buildcapacities in country to ensureeffective conservation andsustainable resource management ofthe marine environment.Opportunities for collaboration needto be identified to ensure thatconservation efforts andconsiderations for further researchand monitoring are an integral partof future marine resourcemanagement planning. In the shorterterm, it is important to furtherground truth these priority areas,pinpoint potential MPAs and workclosely with relevant stakeholders toagree their implementation.

“”

The government of Fiji declares itscommitment to initiating the consolidation ofits national networks of marine protectedareas, or Waitui Tabu, as the mainstay fornational income, coastal livelihoods andtraditional cultures, hand in hand with theprovision of alternative sources of livelihood.This is to replace those sources of livelihoodthat may be lost because of completeprotection of sections of marine areas.

The Fiji government commitment, January 2005.

Fiji’s marine environment containsglobally and regionally significantbiodiversity that needs to be protectedfor its intrinsic value and the centralrole it plays in sustaining thelivelihoods of the people of Fiji.Taking an ecoregional approach toconservation aims to add value anddefinition to existing and plannedconservation frameworks. It also pavesthe way for the further developmentof conservation strategies.The National Biodiversity StrategicAction Plan (NBSAP) 1999,highlighted the need for moreinformation on the biological andecological significance of Fiji’sbiodiversity, on which to basemarine conservation. The outcomes ofthis initial stakeholder process forcapturing Fiji’s biodiversity provides animportant step towards this aim. Thedata will need to be updated

consistently and reviewed followingfurther scientific survey.There are myriad other existingprojects, activities, strategies andpolicies at the international, national,regional, and local level that presentimportant opportunities forcollaboration and buildingpartnerships. National frameworks andplans that offer potential for synergywith conservation action within Fijiinclude the:• National Biodiversity Strategic

Action Plan (NBSAP), 1999;• National Environment Strategy,

1993;• National Strategic Development Plan

(SDP), 2003;• Mangrove Management Plan, 2003;• Fisheries Strategic Plan, 2003.• National Tourism Strategic Plan

(NTSP); and• Tuna Management Plan, 2004.

Hon. Kaliopate Tavola speaking at the Small Island DevelopingStates (SIDS)

Building a conservation plan for Fiji

Woman weaving, Kia Island, Posa Skelton, 2004.

Weaving a tapestry of marine protected areas

A commitment to marineconservation action inFijiThe outputs of this stakeholderprocess provides initial contributionsto establishing a more integratedapproach to the conservation andsustainable resource management ofFiji’s marine environnment.Turning the plan into action requiresbuilding political will and inspiringkey stakeholders to supportconservation efforts. A concertedeffort is required to link these effortsand ensure coherence of policy,action and governance. Movingahead requires appropriatescientific information, capacitybuilding, policy engagements andsustainable development of thetourism and fisheries sectors insupport of conservation andmanagement of FIME biodiversity.WWF and its partners will continueto support local conservation effortsin the Fiji Islands Marine Ecoregionand commit to supporting theimplementation of the government’scommitments to conservation andmarine resource management.

Fiji Country Programme Office

Address: 72 McGregor Street, Suva, Fiji. Postal Address: Private Mail Bag, GPO, Suva, FijiTel: (679) 3315 533 Fax: (679) 3315 410 email: infor@wwfpacific.org.fj website: www.wwfpacific.org.fj

for a living planet

Several national policies also exist thatprovide important legislative frameworks tosupport conservation

and marine resource managementwith FIME, including:

• National Controls on CoralHarvesting, 2003;

• Marine Pollution Prevention Bill,2004; and

• the Environmental Management Act(EMA), 2005.

It is vital that these policies and strategiesare fully integrated and that a coherentgovernance system is put in place tounderpin and enable effective conservation, conservation, to promote bestpractice and to make the best use of limitedresources. Particular opportunities for conservationinclude the highly successful Fiji LocallyManaged Marine Area (FLMMA) network,which aids communities to manage theirmarine resources more effectively bycombining scientific appraisal and traditionalmanagement practices. In addition, if well planned and managed, inline with existing strategies and policycommitments, the tourism sector could alsoprovide a valuable source of finance formanaging conservation.

© WWF-Canon/ Elizabeth Mearley

FRONT COVER: Kia Island, Posa Skelton, 2004.

Author: Louise Heaps, WWF SPPO

Date of publication: October 2005

AcknowledgementsWWF would like to warmly thank all theparticipants of the 2003 BiodiversityVisioning workshop for their contributionsto the process. In particular, we would liketo thank the Department of Land Use andSOPAC who provided significant supportto the GIS team in compiling the workshopresults.