Fiji’s Resilient Reefs

Coral reefs are ancient, living organisms, which have seen and adapted to many changes over millions of years.

It’s one of the oddities of the human race that we expect natural systems to be constant, but as the climate and environment alter, so do reefs around the world, and those in Fiji are no exception.

As you travel around Fiji you will soon come to realise that there are many types of reefs – spectacular hard coral walls, colourful soft coral bommies, dramatic and spooky rocky passages, rubble patches filled with weird and wonderful critters.

What you may not realise is that these reefs change year by year, react to pressures in many different ways, grow and adapt like any other natural ecosystem.

Branching and Table corals can grow 5 – 10 cm per year. Boulder corals 1 – 2 cm per year.

In Fiji, corals spawn in October and November, tiny new colonies are usually first visible by about April or May.

This document Fisheries of the Pacific Islands: Regional and national information provides a recent update of the fisheries and aquaculture sector in the Pacific Region. The document consists of 2 main parts: a regional overview; and fisheries and aquaculture country profiles for the 14 independent Pacific Island countries. It consolidates a variety of sources of information into a single coherent review, to provide a general understanding of the status of fisheries and aquaculture in the Pacific Islands.

The Pacific Island region consists of fourteen independent countries and eight territories located in the western and central Pacific Ocean. In this area there are about 200 high islands and some 2 500 low islands and atolls.

The Fiji National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan 2017–2024 (NBSAP) is a national policy document recognised under the Fiji Environment Management Act 2005.

The NBSAP is also a requirement for all parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity and its 2020 Aichi Targets.

Our friend, Bob Gillett’s new book on Fiji’s fishery resources is being released this week. The “Fiji Fishery Resource Profiles” is a 240-page publication with 44 chapters, each of which is dedicated to a species group such as tuna, giant clams, lobsters, and parrotfish.

Helen Sykes was chosen to be part of the survey team, made up of specialist fish and coral experts, which recently completed a 10 day expedition to the untouched waters and lush limestone islands of the Northern Lau Group.Read More