The journey from ocean to plate
An initiative between WWF, Le Cordon Bleu New Zealand Institute and New Zealand Aid Programme is improving outcomes for all involved in Fiji’s fishing industry.
As we bump along the winding, potholed road in our four wheel drive, my guide from WWF Tui Marseu tell us that the people we are about to meet in Nasea village, Macuata, live very ‘simply’. She’s not kidding – there are no brick-and-tile residences crammed with mod cons here.
Mere Sotia and her extended family live in a corrugated iron dwelling, and use traditional methods for heating water and cooking. The family laugh constantly and the kids play with sticks and chase chickens. Stress and technology-induced burnout are not issues here.
My longing for a life like this intensifies when I see the nearby water where they fish. Serene and glassy, this part of the Qoliqoli Cokovata, a traditional fishing ground, is breathtaking. We wade out to a simple fibreglass fishing boat; the water envelops my legs like a warm, soft blanket. We go out in two boats. One is manned by Ratu Tuvivita, 65, the oldest of the fishermen we meet. On our boat are two primary school-aged boys, about the same age as my sons.
The reason I’m in Nasea is to follow a fish. I’m going to track a reef fish from these waters to its final destination – a restaurant plate at the Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort in Sigatoka. And our fish is taking no ordinary journey. It’s all part of a collaboration between Le Cordon Bleu New Zealand Institute, WWF and New Zealand Aid Programme called the Sustainable Seafood Project, which commercially connects villages with resorts to benefit all, including the ocean.
In the boat, I’m surprised by just how basic the equipment is; hand lines and spears are the method du jour. There’s no action so we move to a new fishing spot and in no time at all have a couple of decentsized reef fish which are immediately put in brine and on ice. The weather is starting to turn, so we head back in. The rain escalates fast, and we’re soaked by the time we return to the village. But all soggy, morose thoughts disappear as we see the feast awaiting us, prepared by Sotia and her family. Their smiles are broad as they serve us fresh grouper, parrot and rabbit fish, root crops and Pacific spinach (bele) with traditional Fijian sweets to follow. I don’t want to leave but it’s time to hit the road. Our fish is being transported in a chilly bin filled with ice, having been cooled to a core temperature of no more than five degrees. Sotia and her girls ensured the fish was stored correctly; they have been educated by Dr Jimaima Lako from the University of the South Pacific. This learning has empowered women in the villages with financial literacy and scientific knowledge, to ensure a more equal gender role in fishing businesses.
Lako says the villagers now understand that to get the price a hotel will pay for top-quality, sustainable fish, they need to follow health and safety procedures to the letter. “We didn’t just teach them theory either, we demonstrated good handling practices – cleaning hands, boats and equipment properly, how to use a thermometer for the ice and fish, how to log for traceability, the importance of using good-quality ice from clean water.”
Sotia and the other women in her village have also been educated on which types of fish to catch so that depleting species of fish are given an opportunity to grow in number. They are financially rewarded to only catch non-endangered species.
We head to Labasa airport with our reef fish and fly to Suva. We don’t have time to follow the actual route that fish take under the Sustainable Seafood Project. They are usually transported by freezer trucks and ferry.
At the Outrigger in Sigatoka we are greeted by Robert Oliver, here from New Zealand in his role as chef ambassador for Le Cordon Bleu New Zealand Institute and the Pacific Islands. Oliver’s long association with both Le Cordon Bleu and WWF has resulted in the ultimate connection between producer and consumer.
“Everyone wins here,” he says. “Chefs can serve the freshest reef fish Fiji has to offer; consumers get to experience truly local cuisine; the villagers get better prices for their labour; women in the villages get a new elevated status in the fishing businesses; the stocks don’t get depleted; and species don’t risk becoming endangered. This project values and safeguards not just fish and reefs, but a whole way of life.
“When I told Le Cordon Bleu what WWF wanted to do, they were thrilled to get on board and I’m really enjoying working with the chefs here, getting them reconnected with their own wonderful traditional Fijian recipes using this beautiful, fresh fish from their waters.”
We watch Oliver and Shailesh Naidu, executive chef at the Outrigger, work their magic on our fish and before long it is transformed into a pan-seared masterpiece served on fresh Fiji highland greens with lemon-scented river clams in coconut broth and chilli sweet potato (kumala).
“We’re so excited,” says Naidu. “Customers want more local food in their resort experience and it’s amazing we will be able to serve them fresh reef fish, knowing WWF have ensured it complies on a health and safety level. I’m passionate about making sure what we do here benefits people working hard in this beautiful country, so this project is fantastic in so many ways.”
“This project values and safeguards not just the fish and reefs, but a whole way of life.”