Women celebrate role in fisheries

Waste management and natural resource management are key priorities in the conservation and management of blue carbon ecosystems. These were shared by the women of the four coastal villages in Dawasamu - Driti, Nataleira, Nasinu and Silana village during a capacity-building workshop yesterday.

The event which marked World Fisheries Day and 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence provided the women with the opportunity to discuss how to foster good environmental management practices whilst celebrating and recognising the important role of women in fisheries.

Addressing the women during the workshop, Tailevu Provincial Conservation Officer Mr Matereti Mateiwai acknowledged the women for their participation and stressed that as custodians of traditional knowledge, it is important to document and store such knowledge.

For Amelia Radinibeqa of the Driti Women's Group, the workshop was timely and significant recognising the role of blue carbon ecosystems in coastal protection.

"How we manage our land-based and marine resources directly affects our food security. I was really touched today to see the emphasis on mangrove conservation as this has already been something we have been working in at our village," she shared.

"As for seagrass, the onus is now on us for the proper use of fishing nets to avoid damaging seagrass ecosystems"

Since late July, the FNU and GIZ Pacific Management of Blue Carbon Ecosystem (MACBLUE) project has collaborated with the villages of Silana, Driti, and Nataleira, beginning with a knowledge exchange and awareness session on the importance and extent of seagrass ecosystems, led by the Fiji Locally Managed Marine Area Network.

“Through the support of the FNU-GIZ partnership, our seagrass restoration exercise has reap great rewards. Before, barred garfish used to appear seasonally on our shores, now we begin to see a positive change on this. Barred garfish can now be seen in abundance,”' shared Nataleira Women’s Group Leader Litiana Marama.