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Take Action! Long Live the Tangled-root Trees

            Now that significance of the Fijian mangrove forest ecosystem is recognized, the natural question becomes how do we take action to conserve our tree brothers. The islands of Fiji demand action by environmentally conscious individuals who have the power to create legislation and a plan of action to restore and protect the mangroves.

            The monitoring and management of mangrove forests requires teams of experts who must orchestrate cooperation amongst village leaders, and carry out projects on target sites. In Fiji, all water below the mean high water level belongs to the British crown although many of the resources within that area are delegated to the local Fijian people. Before action is taken, all mangrove development decisions are made by the Lands Department.

            The process of developing a mangrove region for other uses currently entails:

1. A developer submits a proposal to the Lands Department

2. Lands then invites comment from other government ministries and departments

3. An arbitration process is commenced to assess a recompense sum for loss of the mangrove and services                                                                         ("Fiji Starts Environment Project")

4. Public comments are sought

5. A final determination is made and a foreshore development lease may be granted.

(Agrawala pg. 37)

            Within Fiji, I think that one mechanism for real action also can come through Non- governmental organizations such as the Organization for Industrial, Spiritual and Cultural Advancement (OISCA). This group of activists partnered up with groups of local villagers to create mangrove-replanting projects in areas where forests had been destroyed. There are many areas of replanting that require expert consultation, so the University of the Pacific in the capital of Suva should continue to develop its environmental science programs in order to create professionals within the Fijian demographic who will be motivated to protect their own local environment.

            I visited the region, called Sigatoka, where some of these projects are underway and noticed young trees coming up out of the shallow sandy waterbeds. In Fiji, everything still seems very third- world, therefore, an environmental protection project must be managed from an outside source that knows what they are doing. In other words, operating in Fiji can be a bit more lawless and unregulated than say the United States. Fiji is an ideal place to educate small local village populations about the importance of the mangrove forest environment, in order to discourage further destruction.

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Agrawala, Shardul, et al. "Development and Climate Change in Fiji: Focus on coastal mangroves." Environment Directorate and Development Cooperation Directorate, Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Paris (2003).

"Fiji Starts Environment Project." World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts -. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. <http://asia.wagggsworld.org/en/news/20008>.