Using Relationships to Further the 4FJ Fish Smart Message
The world has changed in many ways, but fisheries officer Romuluse Raisele goes to basics when he works with fishing communities, fishers, and fish sellers.
“For us iTaukei, our currency isn’t money or wealth, our currency is built around building relationships, and that’s the catalyst in bringing about change,” he said. “You see when you meet someone for the first time, you introduce yourself, where you are from, where your maternal links are, where you work and what you do. “Then in Fiji, it’s a game of connect the dots.
“Instantly the person is making a connection to you; he is either your tau, naita, kai, tovata (traditional names) and so on … once that connection is struck, the talanoa is built upon that relationship you already have identified,” Mr Raisele said.
That’s the foundation for the change he wants to create.
So let’s introduce Mr Raisele, the right way.
Mr Raisele is from Kadavu and shares maternal links to Veiseisei in Vuda. He was born and raised in Lautoka where he also started his work with the Ministry of Fisheries.
That doesn’t mean his work is easy, promoting 4FJ Fish Smart practices in Fiji’s fishing communities. Raisele says that fishers in fishing communities that he works with are challenged daily to provide for their household, vanua and lotu (religious) needs.
“It’s not always easy because the reality is that the cost of living has increased rapidly, our population continues to grow and at the end of the day, our needs must be met,” he said.
But they also are well aware of the impacts.
“Fishers and fishing communities now know that because of their heavy dependence on the sea for livelihoods, fish stocks are depleting, and they are going farther and farther spending more on fuel and spending more time away at sea to get enough to sell. Fishing is not as lucrative as before because this is the challenge that our fishers and fishing communities continue to face,” he said.
So once they get to talking, there are motivations for change in the community. But he never forgets, it all starts with the relationship.
Mr Raisele, who has been serving at the Ministry of Fisheries western division head office in Lautoka for the last five years, has worked in the
Yasawa Group, which was an advantage for him.
“Because of my relationship with them,
I can speak boldly and share my thoughts on fish smart practices with them. And we are seeing change. There is a lot of work that the Ministry is doing in pushing the subject of the protection of their resources and thinking of their future generations as well,” he said.
Mr Raisele who has just been appointed as Service Centre Manager in Sigatoka serving the people of Nadroga/Navosa says the new challenge is forging partnerships with his tauvu’s (traditional name for link).
“Whether it is in Yasawa, Ra or Nadroga, the key is developing good relationships with those on the ground – once that is set, your work can be very easy,” he said.
Advantages of 4FJ Fiji Smart campaign
Mr Raisele says another advantage of 4FJ Fish Smart campaign is that the materials are widely available for communities, and simple enough to encourage conversation among the communities. That way it’s not an outsider, with no relationship, pushing ideas.
“They can start working together to make changes to their iqoliqoli
or what needs to change,” he said. Mr Raisele said that over the years dependency on the Government and NGOs to take the lead role takes away the essence of community-driven initiatives.
“With the 4FJ Fish Smart campaign, the communities are empowered to do it themselves. We encourage fishing communities to go through the materials that are available and start with the talanoa in their families, their neighbours and when it involves the whole village or the vanua,
they then start dialogues on how change should happen.
“If communities in Fiji can start this on their own and start making a move for change, then this will work well with what we as a ministry hopes to achieve – that communities take ownership and that the change starts from them,” he said.
Mr Raisele can be contacted at the Sigatoka MOF office for more information and for the distribution of the 4FJ Fish
Smart materials.
V i s i www.4fjmovement. org/champion to learn how you can help champion reviving Fiji’s fishing grounds.