Research: 500 historic shipwrecks, indigenous sites underwater

Fiji has 500 historic shipwrecks and indigenous underwater sites in its waters. From the sacred canoes

or used in the 1800s, the ship Syria which ran aground on the Nasilai Reef on May 11, 1884, to submerged islands and settlements. The findings and lists come from a research paper from a local maritime archaeologist at the Fiji Museum, Elia Nakoro. He is the lead archeologist for Fiji.

Mr Nakoro has long been associated with the Fiji Museum. Thanks to help from overseas archeologists with advanced research technology and oral history, his findings and research are becoming more exact. “The indigenous underwater heritage overtime blends with the oceanic environment creating a home to most marine life-fish and crustaceans.

“These marine resources in turn provide a food supply to many rural communities who depend on the ocean.”

However, for most shipwrecks, while they also can serve the same purpose, i.e. providing a ‘home’ for marine life overtime, new wrecks are a threat to marine life as there is a danger in that toxic goods, and oil on board can kill and destroy these sea organisms.

Mr Nakoro said such shipwrecks needed to be carefully managed and monitored.

For example the Southern Phoenix which overturned in the Suva Harbour and was cordoned off for fear of an oil spill.

He also said the major challenge faced by the maritime archeology was the lack of human resources in the field of archaeology and paleontology.

Currently there is a team of three looking after the entire country and it is a difficult task and some of Mr Nakoro’s fieldwork are held concurrently given the urgency of the requests, others are attended to at a later stage.

“There is also a lack of awareness on our side as most Fijians do not realise the significance of their cultural heritage places thus leaving these sites in danger of being destroyed.

“From our end and with our limited resources we have successfully formed networks and partners with institutions that pursue similar mandates as ours such as the iTaukei Lands Trust Board, the Ministry of iTaukei Affairs, other Government departments, NGOs, Civil Society Groups and even companies and developers who are keen in pursuing investment in Fiji and they wish to acknowledge and respect the viability of cultural and heritage spaces.”

These partnerships have been successful and also eases Mr Nakoro’s and his team’s work.

Some noteworthy underwater and shipwreck discoveries:

Used in the 1800s by the native Fijians. There are claims that these majestic drua lay buried under one of the major river systems of Fiji, the Rewa River or Wailevu. Fish traps are found in most parts of the islands and most field tours on Viti Levu have revealed the remains of these enclosures occur along the western coast and the islands off the mainland. Vuniivilevu and Burotu are two islands in Fiji that allegedly ‘vanished’. Vuniivilevu is located in the Lomaiviti group, east of Viti Levu. Burotu is another example of a mythical island, which appears occasionally in the Lau group specifically near the island of Matuku.