Commercial vessels a concern for Lau
ONE of the critical threats that various communities in Lau have had to face over the years is the number of commercial vessels that often visits its waters to fish illegally.
The Lau Seascape has had to highlight the issue in its 2018-2030 strategy as a means to address it.
Lau Seascape is an initiative aimed at building coalition amongst relevant stakeholders, the local communities and government to improving natural resource governance in the Province of Lau and its surrounding waters.
Pacific Blue Foundation Government and Community relations director and paramount chief of Totoya, Lau, Roko Josefa Cinavilakeba said commercial vessels that do illegal fishing in the Province waters are a threat to the communities, especially their source of livelihood - fishing.
The people of Lau rely on their fish stock to sustain themselves for many years yet illegal fishing vessels have quickly benefitted from such activities.
"We thank our people for continuously looking after their resources but we need to protect their iqoliqoli (traditional fishing grounds) from such activities," he said.
"This fishing vessels come very close to places that our people fish and so it affects the number of fish found in those areas and the sizes too so there is depletion in fish stock for local communities."
He said the Lau Seascape is working closely with the Ministry of Fisheries so that such activities can be stopped, especially fishing in archipelago waters.
"If anyone is to fish there it should be those from the Province of Lau and we hope a lot of monitoring is done by the Fiji Navy in our waters," he said.
"We also hope that some regulations can be put in place too where our fish wardens are given the power to monitor our waters so that such activities are avoided in the future because we want rich fish stock for our future generation.
He thanks Masi ni Vanua of Lau (the forum of traditional chiefs) and the people of Lau for their support towards the initiative and in trying to address issues that concerns their marine resources. Mr Cinavilakeba is also the chairman of the Lau Seascape Yaubula Management Support Team.