Study underway, areas to be identified for seawall construction
Astudy is underway to identify areas around Fiji where Government could assist to build seawalls.
Attorney-General and Minister for Economy Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum confirmed this during the Financial Year 2022-2023 National Budget Consultation at Loa Village in Cakaudrove on Friday.
His confirmation comes after villager Meleti Raimuria and Tevita Madigibuli, president of Loa Youth Club requested for a seawall.
Mr Madigibuli said that during Tropical Cyclone Yasa in 2020 and the recent volcanic eruption in Tonga, seawater entered and flooded the village.
“Please, sir, we are requesting if you could build a seawall because we want to stay in this village,” Mr Madigibuli pleaded.
Mr Raimuria said they have made a request to the Cakaudrove Provincial Council Office.
Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said: “What we are doing now is having a study to find out the total number of seawall needed which can be, for example, 3000.
“Also what we are doing is working and following on nature based solutions, where we don’t just build seawalls but find solutions.”
Materials such as vetiver grass, stones, rockers, boulders are being used in this nature based solutions.
He said they were encouraging people to plant mangroves so that gradually there would be more seafood such as crabs among the mangroves trees which they can catch and provide for their families and also to sell.
“Also when you plant mangroves you can do it in such a way where you can attract tourists to come and then you take them around in a boat to tour around the mangroves,” he said.
“This is part of the plan and the climate change team will surely visit you to look into the seawall need.”
Commercial farming
Government is encouraging people to look into commercial farming, Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said.
He said there were no ivi, breadfruit, and mango plantations in Fiji.
Looking at the importance of locally grown produce, he said these grow in the wild and are picked by people and sold in the local markets.
“A lot of things from the wild such as breadfruit, mango, and ivi haven’t been commercialised,” Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said.
“If we have enough supply then we can open up a factory, can and sell in different ways.”