Potential sites scouted for national or world heritage
More than six sites in the Northern Division have the potential to become a national or world heritage, should the Heritage Bill become an Act.
Speaking from the Tagimoucia Lake in Taveuni, Standing Committee on Justice, Law and Human Rights Chair, Alvick Maharaj, said these sites had the criteria to be considered.
The sites are Nagigi Naag Mandir, Yaduataba, Floating Island, Waisali Forest Reserve, Tagimoucia Lake, Bouma Waterfalls and Natural Slides in Taveuni
“People are quite keen on the Heritage Bill becoming an Act so they can address issues in relation to tourism for these sites,” Mr Maharaj said.
“We have spoken to the mataqali and the village elders as they continue to take care of these natural sites.
“For the Waisali Forest Reserve they have set aside 20,000 acre for their carbon trading under the climate mitigation programme.”
Mr Maharaj said the Bill first came about in 1990. There were talks about it again in 2016 which did not go through in Parliament, before it was referred again in 2018 to date.
“We need to domesticate our laws in order to fully comply with the World Heritage Convention,” he said.
The extract is taken from Heritage Bill (Bill No.3 of 2021) Part 1
“Natural heritage” means the following—
(a) natural features consisting of physical and biological formations or groups of such formations, which are of outstanding universal value from the aesthetic or scientific point of view;
(b) geological and physio-graphical formations and precisely delineated areas which constitute the habitat of threatened species of animals and plants of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation; or
(c) natural sites or precisely delineated natural areas of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science, conservation of natural beauty;