New marine conservation is Traditional
By: Maria Baselala Vula (S11033380)
Today many communities and local leaders are working with government and non-government organisations to better develop fisheries management plans.
“In my tradition all the fishing rights and reefs belong to the high chief so it is expected of the village fishermen whenever they go out fishing to bring a ration for the chief as well as those who look after the land to provide crops,” says Ratu Kolinio Ravoka.
He hails from the chiefly village of Ucunivanua the district of Verata in the province of Tailevu.
Community marine tenure is recognized widely as these systems help ensure direct benefits from the marine conservation efforts to the local community.
“The long practised traditional management systems such as the seasonal bans and temporary no fishing zones or traditional reserve areas (tabu) has been adapted for modern use,” says Ravoka.
“Traditionally when a chief dies the fishermen normally goes to the sacred fishing grounds and marks it with long poles to signify the mourning period which varies for months or a year,” he says.
The use of marine protected areas and reserves is being recognised through a process of community based adaptive management to conserve traditional practices.
He stated that a group led by Professor Bill Aalbersberg Director of the University of the South Pacific’s Institute of applied science visited his village to educate them on the importance of conservation and the traditional methods of preserving for the future generations.
When the mourning period is over the fishermen will go to the fishing ground that was reserved for the duration period and remove the poles which signify the end of the mourning period.
“What they normally find are fishes bigger than what they would normally find before the tabu period because for one year nobody dares to cross the fishing ground,” says Ravoka.
This shows their respect for the chief something they have been accustomed to for generations however there would differences in sizes of fishes caught along the beach which was easier than travelling out into the sea.
“Until recently, villagers tried subsistence farming not commercial farming to be able to pay for their children’s educational needs which they had to sell their produce mainly seafood,” says Ravoka.
“In fact in the mindset of the people they think tabu is only for the traditional mourning period but the good thing about it there are trial period for three to four months where two reefs were monitored.”
There would be large amounts of different types of sea creatures found in the traditional reserve reef like the kaikoso (crown shell) could be found in different big sizes, apart from the non-reserved reef.
He said,” conservation of the forest and the sea is a wise thing to do not only better harvest later on but it maintains a consistent supply for the villagers which start from good planning.”
