The turtle warden
‘Ruthless hunter’ turns protector
EMOSI Time takes his role as a Dau ni Vonu (turtle warden) very seriously.
For the past 10 years, the Kavewa native has made sacrifices to ensure the endangered species were kept safe from predators and poachers.
The 44-year-old said turtles were considered sacred and monitoring them at Fiji’s largest turtles nesting site on Katawaqa Island was a labour of love for him.
Ten years ago, through a community partnership initiative with World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Pacific, Mr Time made a commitment to protect sea turtles — a delicacy that was highly sought after by his people.
Being the son of a chief of Kavewa Island, Mr Time’s stand in protecting turtles was often questioned by his people.
He said while he had an obligation to the people of Kavewa, being a protector of the endangered species was something he could not overlook.
In fact he introduces himself to those he meets for the first time, as “Emosi Time, Dau ni Vonu (turtle warden)”.
“My signature introduction symbolises my life — one that is tied to the protection of the endangered marine reptile,” he said.
“It’s been 10 years and a lot of Dau ni Vonu around the province of Macuata have stopped monitoring sea turtles.
“I do not blame them because it is demanding and there aren’t many incentives.
“Wardens need incentives because of the amount of time and resources taken to protect these endangered species.
“Because of their vulnerability, I have told myself that I will continue with this role.
“I believe God has called and bestowed upon me this sacred duty — to protect a species that is quickly disappearing from the face of the Earth.”
As a turtle monitor, Mr Time visits villages within two districts and spreads the turtle conservation gospel, encouraging his kin to stop the haphazard harvesting of turtles and to treat the reptiles as friends.
He performs beach surveys that include protecting turtle nesting sites, seagrass bed monitoring and improving awareness on the plight of sea turtles among coastal villagers.
“I give them a voice, my legs carry their plea to the human race to protect them, and my hands shield them.
“Sometimes when I look back in time I often laugh because I realise that I used to be a turtle’s worst nightmare — a ruthless hunter, plundering their nests for eggs which is a delicacy.”
In the past, Mr Time once held the proud title as “the turtle hunter” along the 100 kilometre stretch of sea nestling islands that fall within the Nadogo and Namuka districts.
“As a young boy, I was first inducted into the rituals of turtle hunting when I could barely hold up a spear.
“Our people are widely acknowledged as turtle gurus, intimately aware of the movements, habits, locations, breeding times of the reptile, the types of waves that are good for hunting, wind direction and the spot on a turtle’s body that must be penetrated to kill.
“Whenever someone needed a turtle for a feast, they came home and we went out hunting.
“It was a big thing to kill a turtle. Big in the sense that if you killed one, you’d be recognised as a true sea warrior, a man standing ten feet taller than the rest of the men in the village.
“I was a mere 10-year-old when I came home carrying my first turtle.”
Mr Time described the feeling at the time as one of pride although he barely reached his grandfather’s shoulders.
“Turtles are iconic in our Fijian culture, used in chiefly food presentations either to welcome, farewell or as a show of gratitude during traditional events, so catching one is a major thing.
“I attended a workshop on turtles organised by WWF-South Pacific at Nakalou Village and it changed my life.
“After learning about a turtle’s biology, breeding cycles and how vulnerable they are to human threats especially the fact that they just lie there and humbly wait to die without putting up a fight I stopped feeling like a warrior.”
The Dau ni Vonu network, first established in 2010, is co-ordinated by the WWF South Pacific Marine Species Program and supports the Fiji Sea Turtle Recovery Plan of growing sea turtle numbers and the Turtle Moratorium banning the illegal harvest of this culturally iconic ancient creature.