Page 22 - Islands Business June 2023

Oceans Oceans

SCIENCE AND DATA FOR OCEAN
PROSPERITY

Photo: Ulamila Matairakula

By Sera Tikotikovatu-Sefeti tion will help us understand the health of our coral, the status
of our fish stocks, and the quality of our waters across our
The Blue Prosperity expedition programme to collect data island so that we can make informed decisions and interven-
on ocean health in Fiji is already showing very mixed results tions about how to be responsible stewards of our oceans and
at different sites. their resources.”
The programme is a collaborative effort led by the Fiji gov- Acting Permanent Secretary for Fisheries and Forestry,
ernment and supported by local NGOs, the University of the Atelaite Rokosuka concurred, saying the data government cur-
South Pacific, international scientists, and the Waitt Institute. rently has is ten years’ out of date.
The expedition began in May and continues until the end of
August. Protecting traditional owners’ interests
It is Fiji’s first nationwide marine survey and will update The expedition’s co-primary investigator, Dr Joeli Veitayaki,
information collected from sites covered in the past. says the process will move from data to storytelling to plan-
“This was informed by the need that the government has at ning and implementation within government. He says it is
this point in time to better understand what our marine eco- “arguably the most significant new development commitment
system looks like, and what the status of our reefs is so that the country has taken to attain a sustainable use of marine
they can then use that information to develop management resources.”
plans at the community and national level that can better Dr Veitayaki says one reason an expedition of this magni-
manage our marine resources,” says Blue Prosperity country tude has not been undertaken previously is the lack of funding
manager, Arthur Irwing Sokimi. to cover surveys of Fiji’s 411 i-qoliqoli (customary fishing
At the launch of the expedition in May, Fiji’s Minister for grounds —which extend from the high-tide water mark along
Fisheries and Forestry, Kalaveti Ravu noted that: “The expedi- the shoreline to the most outer reef crest).

22 Islands Business, June 2023