Manamuca Environment Society Newsletter
Added to website: 30 March 2005
HRH Visits Mamanucas
The Class 7 students of Malolo District School were over the moon on Friday, March 11, when they had the once in a lifetime opportunity to meet and chat with the Prince of Wales. The students knew they were to get the chance to see him on Qalito Island, but did not realize their luck would be to sit with him on a traditional Fijian mat on a beautiful beach at Castaway Island.
The students are all part of an ongoing Environment Educational Program the Mamanuca Environment Society and Coral Cay Conservation have established amongst the two island schools in the Mamanuca area. The schools participate one semester per year; Malolo District School at Solevu Village caters for Class 7 students on Malolo Island from the communities of Solevu, Yaro, and Cubi in Term 1, and NaMamanuca Primary School Class 8 students on Yanuya for students from the islands of Yanuya and Tavua during Term 3.
The Friday morning saw the children all neatly pressed and ready to venture across the passage from Solevu to Castaway. After much anticipation, HRH arrived and immediately chatted with the students. The Prince of Wales was well informed, as he spoke with the children about some of the topics they too were learning about! When the children told him they learned about the coastal zone, he mentioned mangroves, and this excited them as they knew exactly what he was talking about! He mentioned to the students about the importance of mangroves, especially in light of the recent Southeast Asian tsunami disaster. The damage would not have been so great if the coastline and mangrove areas had not all been developed for tourism! An important contribution, as the focus of HRH’s world tour seems to be on the environment. He asked young Unaisi Bakeitoga about her favourite seafood, and she replied “Parrotfish!” He knew how important the fish were on the reef, but had to agree they were good eating!
The short visit was an amazing opportunity for the young students of Malolo to meet with the future King of the Commonwealth. But also for them to share their newly acquired knowledge on how important the environment and the ocean is to Fiji, and throughout the Pacific! They ended the morning with a delicious morning tea hosted by Castaway Island Resort! Hmm! Throughout the course, the students learn about their coastal zone environment, interactions and animals that occur in those environments, and importantly, human interactions, threats, and the current effects on the Fijian coastal zone. The students also engage in a number of extracurricular activities, including a snorkel of the reef and lagoon right outside their school, and also participating in skit performances at the end of the term for their school, showing the other students, teachers, parents, and communities the important themes they learned relevant for today’s world - sustainability, resource management, and best practice for everyday activities within their villages, as just a few.
PCDF Hosts Island Resource Management Workshop
Conservation and concern for the environment is ever progressing in the Mamanuca Region. Partners in Community Development Fiji (PCDF) recently hosted a 3 day Marine Resource Awareness Workshop in Solevu village on Malolo Island from March 14 - 18th. PCDF is a non-government, not-for-profit organisation that focuses on environmental issues nationwide. Village reps from Solevu, Yaro, Yanuya, Tavua and mainland Cuvu, all attended to discuss those important issues affecting the everyday life of these island village communities. Resource persons invited by PCDF to share their knowledge and gain insight on the current situation in the Mamanucas, included government reps from the Health, Land Use, Fisheries and Mineral Resources Departments as well as the Mamanuca Environment Society. Topics that were discussed at length and that were of major concern, included water catchments issues, water quality studies , issuance of fish wardens, and land and coastal erosion preventative measures to just name a few. It is refreshing to see that the conservation efforts in the Mamanucas are joining hands and uniting for the benefit of all stakeholders. A big Vinaka Vakalevu to the Partners in Community Development Fiji, the community of Solevu village and all the participants and resource persons for the wonderful 3 day workshop.
Update for Mamanuca Dive Operators Reef Check Network
A big congratulations to the dive operators in the Mamanucas - the installation of all Reef Check survey sites is about to be completed. Round 1 of Surveys at the most popular Mamanuca dive and snorkel sites has brought a vast amount of information and biological data all courtesy of the local dive operators! This is all part of the ongoing Mamanuca Dive Operators Reef Check Network (MDORCN) that was formed in June of 2004. The MDORCN is a network uniting all the dive operators in the Mamanuca region in an effort to collect information on the reefs, for the purpose of assessing the basic overall health of that particular area. This is an especially important contribution as Coral Cay Conservation (CCC) will not be in the Mamanucas for much longer; the MDORCN was formed in the hope of still maintaining a check system on our widely used reefs. Reef Check is the simple survey methodology used, although not as detailed as the CCC survey, will serve to collect similar data by having divers look for key reef organisms along a transect line, indicating whether the reef is a thriving one or one being heavily impacted by human activities. This information is submitted by the MES to Reef Check Headquarters and the Global Coral Monitoring Reef Network (GCMRN), that collates the information from around the world in an annual report made popularly available. But not to worry, Round 2 of surveys will begin at the end of the year, with all the more fun diving and surveying!
Up and Coming Events
