PACIFIC CURRENTS WWF South Pacific Programme Office s bi-monthly Newsletter
Introduction Fantastic! Fabulous! Amazing! are just a few remarks I ve received after WWF SPPO successfully hosted the third annual Turtle Benefit Ball on Friday, the 4th of June. The event, hosted in aid of the recently established network of community based turtle monitors the Dau ni Vonu, saw more than 200 of Suva s elite in attendance, putting their support behind a network of 25 men and women spanning the provinces of Macuata and Bua. The money generated is a slight increase from the last Ball held in 1998. These individuals are pioneers for this approach in Fiji, having adopted and adapted the model from neighbors Vanuatu. The Turtle Benefit Ball, initiated in 2007, has generated an amazing groundswell of support for turtle conservation in Fiji, and stands as an example in the region of innovative conservation. The 2010 Turtle Benefit Ball was made possible through the support of partners who have been with us since the inaugural event, such as Ocean Soaps Limited, Dragon Music, Pure Fiji, Fiji Water, LajeRotuma Initiative and Star Printery Ltd. to name a few. We also welcomed new partnerships and were grateful for their support. Marine species programme coordinator I take this opportunity to acknowledge my hard working and dedicated committee, comprised of WWF SPPO staff and also extend my gratitude to our families for their never-ending support. Here s to seeing you at the 2011 Turtle Benefit Ball..
CTNI Strategy: Protecting marine turtles & reducing their bycatch. In early 2010, a network of community based turtle monitors, locally known as the Dau ni vonu, was established across the provinces of Macuata and Bua, Fiji. This was done through a collaboration between WWF South Pacific, SPREP (Secretariat for the Pacific Regional Environment Programme) and Vanua Tai Resource Monitors with financial support from the CEPF (Critical Ecosystems Partnership Fund). Since the last edition of the Pacific Currents, the Dau ni Vonu have established a mandate guiding their roles; four representatives have returned with what they termed as an interesting and rather informative week long attachment with their counterparts in Vanuatu. Monitoring has been on-going with one report recording approximately 1,400 hatchlings, and a commitment was made to ensure that the safety and proper awareness is raised to communities for the protection of this marine species. One of the many nesting site of turtles in Yadua, Vanua Levu, Fiji Local community helps in taking turtle back to sea Local community involvement
After years of lobbying, advocacy and groundwork, WWF achieved a major milestone in 2009 when the Fiji government, in addition to endorsing the Fiji Sea Turtle Recovery Plan, endorsed a 10 year Moratorium protecting turtles until 2018. Having established frameworks within which to collaboratively pursue focused turtle conservation, the Dau ni vonu network is now beginning to provide the necessary capacity at ground level to implement these. Staff and sponsors of the WWF Turtle Benefit Ball As a means of supporting the Dau ni vonu, WWF South Pacific hosted it s third annual Turtle Benefit Ball on June 4th at the Tattersall s Leisure Centre in Suva. The event, dubbed one of Fiji s major social yearly events, and usually attracted a cross section of Fiji s society including the corporate and diplomatic community provided WWF South Pacific an opportunity to show case the important role of the monitors and their work and to emphasize that support was needed from all to ensure the longevity of such an initiative. The Dau ni vonu are currently preparing their first bi-annual monitors meeting an opportunity for them to share experiences amongst peers as well as discuss opportunities for the expansion of their network to other parts of Fiji. The proceeds from the ball will be used to support this as well as future meetings in addition to funding selected needs as identified and agreed to by the monitors. Brian Lever and- Punja's Group Marketing Manager Gopal Jadhav WWF SPPO Representative, Kesaia Tabunakawai (center) with staff, Merewalesi Laveti, Left, and Jone Tuiipelehaki, right
Promoting Sustainable Tuna Fisheries Ever wondered what tuna is found in your waters? How long tuna lives? What tuna is overfished and what tuna is sustainable? What other species are caught with tuna? A set of 5 tuna factsheets was produced in collaboration with the UNDP/GEF funded Oceanic Fisheries Project, Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA), the WWF South Pacific Office and the Secretariat of the South Pacific Community (SPC). The factsheets were launched to coincide with World Biodiversity day. On World Environment Day, a set were distributed to Primary School students sand to respective school libraries. Copies of the tuna factsheets are available and can be downloaded here Tuna is a multi-million dollar industry and the Western Central Pacific region hosts the world s largest and richest tuna fishery. Written for non-governmental organisations and fishing industry association as well as high schools, universities, government department staff, media and others interested in fishing issues, the tuna species factsheets are presented with photos, diagrams and easy to read explanations of the facts about the four species of tuna common in the Pacific Islands and how the region controls bycatch.
CTNI Strategy: Financing MPA Women of Navakisobu proudly weave mats made from kuta reeds in Vanua Levu Traditional Weaving skills and restored wetland: Ready source of income for Great Sea Reef qoliqoli households In 1998 WWF South Pacific worked with the community of Navakosobu and Korovulivillage on Vanua Levu, Fiji, at their request to restore local Kuta producing ponds. Kuta reeds are used in the traditional Fijian mat weaving, but recently the trade has been in threat of dying out due to the loss of the plant habitat. It is seven years since WWF left the communities. Happily, when WWF staff visited the village in May, Kuta weaving was thriving in the community and the pond as confirmed by a villager contained more Kuta than it ever had before. The women of Navakosobu are now not only very proud of their reinvigorated trade but are also contributing a considerable amount of money to the community by selling the Kuta mats, which command considerably more than their Pandanus counterparts. Navakasobu is one of the 37 vilages of the Qoliqoli Cokovata, who are current WWF partners in setting up and managing networks of protected area in over 1, 300 km2 of the great sea reef. Kuta pond
CTNI: Financing MPA Ecosystem Based Management: Strategy to promote sustainable landuse practices and a healthy qoliqoli Youths Take on Wetland Conservation In 1998 WWF South Pacific worked with the community of Navakosobu and Korovuli village on Vanua Levu, Fiji, at their request to restore local Kuta producing ponds. Kuta reeds are used in the traditional Fijian mat weaving, but recently the trade has been in threat of dying out due to the loss of the plant habitat. It is seven years since WWF left the communities. Happily, when WWF staff visited the village in May, Kuta weaving was thriving in the community and the pond as confirmed by a villager contained more Kuta than it ever had before. The women of Navakosobu are now not only very proud of their reinvigorated trade but are also contributing a considerable amount of money to the community by selling the Kuta mats, which command considerably more than their Pandanus counterparts. Navakasobu is one of the 37 vilages of the Qoliqoli Cokovata, who are current WWF partners in setting up and managing networks of protected area in over 1, 300 km2 of the great sea reef. Progress report on kuta farming Youths enjoying a break with WWF SPPO staff
CTNI Strategy: Financing MPA s Ecosystem Based Management: Strategy to promote sustainable land use practices and a healthy qoliqoli Community Land Care Group First for Fiji Mali Island in Vanua Levu is the first in Fiji to trial the community Land Care Committee Concept (LCC) concept. In a workshop facilitated by WWF under the GEF SGP funded restoring the natural landscape on Mali Island activity, the Mali LCC was initiated. The land care committe is acting as community watchdogs and provide advice to their fellow villagers on how best to address land issues, guided by advice from the Ministry of Agriculture The sixteen young men and women were also trained in water management, water harvesting, water quality testing and improving water storage facilities on the island. As a result of this project, the island will have a high percentage of native flora and will be able to improve its land quality and soil condition for long-term sustainable agriculture. A similar committee concept will be introduced by the Qoliqoli Committee into the village of Sasa and Naduri. Mali Island has four villages of the 37 villages of the Qoliqoli Cokovata and are current partners in setting up networks of protected areas in over 1, 300 km2 section of the globally significant great sea reef. Community of Mali, Vanua Levu, participating in a workshop
CTNI Strategy: Reducing the Impacts of Climate Change Real Time Sea Surface Temperature Record for Tikina Wai reef Long term monitoring of sea surface temperature, in relation to episodic coral bleaching events improves knowledge on bleaching threshold of local reef areas, important for subsistence fishing. In partnership with Scuba Bula, a HOBO U22 Water Temp Pro v2 logger was set and deployed at 12 metres depth of coral reef, to record in situ water temperature on hourly intervals, real time thermal measurements at the local barrier reef adjacent to studied mangroves, mudflats, seagrass areas and patch reefs. From the deployed HOBO logger since August 2007, warmer water temperatures recorded corresponds to the peak months of the hurricane season from April until November. In situ temperature recordings at this reef site during the period of Cyclone Tomas in March this year provided an average of 28.2 0 C, less than 0.9 0 C of the highest SST recorded during a bleaching alert event in 2008. Placement of temprature loggers on reef site provides real time sea surface temrature data that can detect thermal stress and potential coral bleaching. Mean sea surface temperature, deg Celcius 30 29 28 27 26 25 Graph shows trends of mean sea surface temperature (SST) logged at Navula barrier since 2007 to present time. This temperature logger exercise has provided some real time SST data that has been used to create community awareness on what the reef is experiencing, thus providing insight to how the reef responds to a coral bleaching event. Such automated logging of SST is a value added tool to assess the vulnerability of mangroves and coastal habitats to the impacts of climate change. Therefore, provides crucial input to the community-driven process of developing adaptive management strategies. 24 23 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec 2007 2008 2009 2010
CTNI Strategy: Reducing the Impacts of Climate Change Mangroves for Coastal Resilience WWF is working with government, communities and other stakeholders to understand the potential impacts of climate change on natural systems like mangroves, to integrate adaptation strategies into existing natural resource management plans. WWF is in partnership with the Global Environment Facility (GEF) funded project, developing a generalizable approach to assessing vulnerability Mangroves plants of coastal and critically important biodiversity systems, through resilience building. Mangroves are unique ecosystems as they act as buffers between terrestial and marine envrionments and perpetuation of biodiversity by acting as a nursery for juveniles and maintaining optimum habitat conditions. They are also natural barriers against storm surges, coastal erosion and higher tides associated with climate change. These chracteristics makes them especially imprtant for Pacific Islanders and in active need for protection as it provides for an adaptation option against climate change. Recent stratigraphy and pollen analysis work showed that mangroves at the Lomawai site occured to be at least 3m below present levels indicating relative sea level rise at the site in the last 1000 years, consistent with regional subsidence. The Lomawai mangrove area has been keeping up with relative sea level rise rates higher then global rates in the last several hundred years, while mangroves have kept, there has been a slow landward migration of mangrove zones over the centuries indicating that the rate of sea level rise has been slightly higher than the sedimentation rates (around 1.1-2.0 mma-1). Lomawai mangroves are vulnerable to global increase in the rate of sea level rise, which can be mitigated by actions to retain mangrove resilience in its protection and watershed management. This will enhance communities in the Pacific develop sutable adaptive responses to live with the change and uncertainty caused by climate change The project is similarly being carries out in East and Central Africa in tandem with Fiji in the South Pacific.
SPPO Reviews Strategic Plan CMIF coordintors brain storming ideas Staff of WWF South Pacific Programme on the last day of the strategic plan workshop WWF UK volunteer, Matt on a presentation In 2009, the WWF South Pacific developed a 5 year road map that culminated in the 2010 2014 strategic plan. The first year of its implementation was reviewed at Natalei Eco lodge in mid May of which an internal assessment provided a summary of the past year achievement, actions that are still ongoing and those that have not been implemented. Overall significant progress has been made on 75% of the strategic plan for FY10, bearing in mind that there is still four more years of the delivery of the current plan. The SPPO s 2010-2014 strategic plan was approved by WWF International in July 2009. June 2010 marks the ends of year one implementation. During the second week of May the staff took time out from the office to review achievements and plan for year two (2011). More than 200 deliverables were listed for the 2010 financial year in the 2010-2014 strategic plan, of which 56% have been fully achieved, 19% have shown good progress and 23% have not been achieved to date [Note: 2% were dropped].
Expanding Capacity to Deliver Efficiently Maria Turaga is the newest addition to WWF South Pacific joining in March as the Corporate Engagement Officer. Prior to her appointment, Maria was the voice Fiji heard every morning from 6am as she co-hosted Legend FM s breakfast show. She brings a lot of enthusiasm to her new role and hopes to learn more about conservation work while engaging with Fiji s corporate network in the effort to build long-term partnerships. Corporate Engagement Officer, Maria Turaga Departures: Talei spent one and half years with WWF SPPO as the Communications Manager Sanivalati has been with WWF SPPO for four years as the CMIF programme Manager Andrea Talei Montu Sanivalati Navuku
The previous edition of Pacific Currents, is also available upon request. WWF South Pacific Programme 4 Ma afu Street Suva Fiji Islands Tel: (679) 331 5533 Fax: (679) 331 5410 comms@wwfpacific.org.fj