Fiji’s Bold Plans for the Future

       Fiji has a goal to protect 30% of its marine areas, which include mangroves, by 2020.  They plan to do so by creating marine protected areas, or MPAs.  This work is highly local but in cooperation with many environmentally focused groups, such as WWF, and the government.   It is effective for reform to be local and traditional, because it is familiar with the natives, making them more inspired and likely to help out. 

       Being backed by the government and environment groups lends financial suport, structure, and guidance.  This project was started by the Fijian government in January 2005 in reaction to NBSAP recommendations, and once it is completed it will be the largest marine network!  

       They are doing so with a network of “tabus,” a traditional method which simply prohibits fishing on a reef and is protected by the village.  Protecting the reefs is synonymous with protecting the mangroves.  Tabus are complimented by work in education of the marine areas and how people can be sustainable.  

       This project has proven to be successful.  In just 3 years, fish harvesting has tripled and local income has increased by 35%.  Fishing improves in just one year; fish are of better quality and can become larger as the area becomes more fertile.  Furthermore, rare species are making appearances!  This project proves common belief that preservation hurts the economy false, which is important because it gives people even more incentive to be ecologically friendly, especially for investors with big development dreams.  

       So far there are 177 MPAs, and the project is growing.  Other countries have even recognized its success and have adopted similar projects.  Fiji is moving in the right direction.  This project is successful not only in its results but in establishing cooperation and activism between the people, the government, and outside groups.  

Works Cited:

"Microdocs: The Marine Protected Area." Microdocs: The Marine Protected Area. Stanford University, n.d. Web. 27 Nov. 2012. <http://www.stanford.edu/group/microdocs/marineprotect.html>.

Mills M, Jupiter S, Adams V, Ban N, Pressey B (2011) Can management actions within the Fiji Locally Managed Marine Area Network serve to meet Fiji's national goal to protect 30% of inshore marine areas by 2020? Wildlife Conservation Society and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, Suva, Fiji, 16 pp.

Picture Citation:

http://awsassets.panda.org/img/coralreef_fiji_105788_349597.jpg

Traditional Use of Mangroves: the Gift that Keeps on Giving

Charcoal from mangroves

      Mangroves not only support a huge ecosystem but also humans life.  Mangroves are traditionally used to make tapa dye, fishing gear, and medicine.  The bark of the trees provides a pigment brown dye while its sap provides a pigment black dye.  The red flowers are used to make leis, honey, and fish poision.  Each type of mangrove species had its unique role.  The prop roots of Rhizophora were used in light construction, for example making fishing traps.  The Lumnitzera, on the other hand, is more durable and resistant to marine borers, so it was used in heavier construction.  Seeds are used as a remedy for a variety of problems such as sore mouth, asthma, backache, constipation, kidney stones, and headaches.  They are also crushed to make wine, vinegar, and cooking oil.  Mangrove’s wood burns at high temperature, because it has a high calorific value.  The wood is also popular for its heavy charcoal with its pungent smell.  The charcoal is not only used in barbecuing but also metal production.  Natives make tea and tobacco out of the leaves.  Mangrove extracts can be made into soap and synthetic fibers.  

       

      We are still finding more magic in the Mangroves.  Researchers are developing on working theories that the mangroves’ toxins repel insects.  Furthermore, a scientist has suggested that the extract from the mangrove cancer can be used as a cure for throat cancer.  Again and again, we see that mangroves have many physical parts to them with a diverse range of applications.   

Works Cited:

Bandaranayake, Wickramasinghe M. Economic, Traditional and Medicinal Uses of Mangroves. Townsville, Qld.: Australian Institute of Marine Science, 1999. Print.

"Uses for Mangroves." Uses for Mangroves. Florida Department of Plant Industry, n.d. Web. 27 Nov. 2012. <http://www.beachbeans.com/mangrove/mangrove_uses.html>.

Picture Citations:

http://www.charcoalmarket.com/images/Mangrove-Charcoal-Grade-A1.jpg

http://awsassets.panda.org/img/file0213_1_404337.jpg

Mangrove Management

Over the past years, there has been an increase in environmental consciousness within the Fijian government, most likely out of necessity. In such a vulnerable low lying area of the south Pacific, Fijians are threatened by rising sea levels and destruction of their coastlines.

 

            The Department of the Environment has introduced two progressive pieces of legislation addressing mangroves: The Fiji Biodiversity Strategy Action Plan (BSAP) and the Sustainability bill. Both plans “commit Fiji to the protection and conservation of a variety of life forms, plants, animals, micro-organisms, genes they contain, and the ecosystems they form.” (Agrawala pg. 37). So far, the Fijian government has passed no official legislation, however these proposals show that we are on our way toward some type of action.

            Local Fijian villages have relative autonomy over their land and water resources and have maintained healthy mangrove ecosystems for thousands of years. The subsistence economy of these local villages has proved sustainable over the years, but is now being tested by increases in commercial activities in surrounding areas. More and more, native Fijians are pressured to give up resources to large timber companies and developers due to the large sums of money offered to them. A lack of organization within tribal councils has been alleviated by a variety of non- governmental organizations such as OISCA, who steps in to promote restoration projects and other endeavors. Another program, Fiji Locally Managed Marine Areas Network has nine project sites on Fiji and works with local villagers to set ocean resource use levels. In addition, these organizations promote sustainability education to largely uneducated villagers within local communities.

            Through a combination of governmental action and local village cooperation, the future prospects of Fijian mangroves look promising.

_______________________________________________________

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).

 Photo Citations:

"Tiempo Climate Newswatch." , Community Adaptation in a Small Island Developing Country. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Nov. 2012. <http://www.tiempocyberclimate.org/newswatch/feature100723.htm>.

"OISCA Fiji Chilidren's Forest Prgram "Biodiversity2010" | The Green Wave." OISCA Fiji Chilidren's Forest Prgram "Biodiversity2010" | The Green Wave. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Nov. 2012. <http://greenwave.cbd.int/node/7510>.

The Mangroves’ Biggest Sweat

Climate change over the next decades has been brought to attention as one the greatest threats to the Fijian mangrove ecosystem. In 1999, Climate Change Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessment for Fiji made several projections that I would like to highlight.

           

            1. Temperatures are expected to increase 0.5 degrees Celsius by 2025, and 1.6        degrees Celsius by 2100.

            2.  Sea level is projected to increase by 10.5 cm by 2025 and 49.9 cm by 2100.

           

            3. Precipitation changes of high magnitudes are predicted, but the direction of the   change is uncertain.

            Because the mangrove tree sits in a vulnerable coastline environment, these three threats are alarming. If the projection regarding sea level rise is in fact accurate, then it is most likely that the mangrove tree populations will begin to retreat inward toward the shore. Case studies in India and Bangladesh have shown that mangroves can handle changes in sea level for the most part. As long as the rates of sea level rise are not too dramatic, the mangrove trees should be able to make the adjustment inland.

            Another aspect of the survival of the mangrove ecosystem is dependent on how coral reefs adapt to increases in ocean temperatures. Projected temperature increases may lead to even more coral bleaching than has already occurred in Fiji. When large amount of coral reefs die off, mangrove trees also suffer because the reefs serve as a protective barrier to the coastal trees. Basically, mangroves depend on coral reefs for protection and biodiversity while the reefs depend on the mangroves for water filtration and for the breeding of tropical fish and organisms within the root systems.

            As we have seen in recent natural disasters such as Hurricane Sandy, climate change is becoming a reality that must be dealt with. At the moment, there is no legislation that directly addresses mangrove forest populations within Fiji, however we should expect the Fijian government to take action, along with outside organizations such as OISCA in coming years.

_________________________________________________________

Ellison, J.C. 2004. Vulnerability of Fiji’s mangroves and associated coral reefs to climate   change. Review for the World Wildlife Fund. Launceston, Australia:University of Tasmania.

McLeod, Elizabeth, and Rodney V. Salm. Managing mangroves for resilience to climate change. World Conservation Union (IUCN), 2006.

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).

Photo Citations:

"Coral Reefs: Adaptation or Extinction? » Coral Bleaching." Coral Reefs: Adaptation or Extinction? » Coral Bleaching. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Nov. 2012. <http://sites.duke.edu/biology217_01_s2011_pv24/how-does-rising-temperature-affect-coral-communities/global-threats/coral-bleaching/>.

"BP Gulf Oil Spill." NewsTimes. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Nov. 2012. <http://www.newstimes.com/national/slideshow/BP-Gulf-oil-spill-618.php>.

This Tree Can Take Anything!

            When most people think of trees, they envision a mountainside of pine trees or a plethora of deciduous trees changing colors during the holiday season. The Mangrove tree is unique in that it grows in shallow saltwater and its roots tolerate oxygen deficient soils. The key to survival are the tree’s special root called pneumatophores that have adapted to grow out of the soil and absorb oxygen from the earth’s atmosphere.

 

            Pneumatophores, also called “breathing roots” have a spongy surface with special air channels that are the site for gas exchange. Within the root, there is an internal pathway in which oxygen gas travels down to the roots of the mangrove.

            There are three main mangrove species in Fiji: white mangroves, black mangroves and red mangroves. Red mangroves have elliptical leaves and prop roots that grow downward from its branches. White mangrove leaves are round and greenish- yellow in color. Finally, the leaf of the black mangrove is the narrowest of the three and has small hairs on the underside of the leaf. Black mangroves have the breathing root systems that sprout out of the ground, mentioned above. The most important difference between these species is how the root system is arranged. Red mangroves have roots that grow downward from the branches, black mangroves have pneumatophores, and white mangrove may have either type, based on the surrounding environmental conditions.

           Human uses of mangrove wood are vast. Scientists have learned to derive a variety of medicines from the tree that are useful for skin disorders, sores, headaches, rheumatism, snake bites, boils, ulcers, diarrhea, and hemorrhages. Perhaps the mangrove’s ability to survive in harsh surrounding equates to medicinal uses for humans who are also suffering from intense illness and suffering.

  

by: Max McGee

 _______________________________________________________

"Mangrove/Wetland Ecosystems." MES Fiji RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. <http://mesfiji.org/resources/environment/mangrovewetland-ecosystems>.

"TYPES OF ROOTS." Types of Roots. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. <http://www.botgard.ucla.edu/html/botanytextbooks/generalbotany/typesofroots/>.

Picture Citations:

-->

"Patana Gateway." Bangkok Patana School. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Nov. 2012. <http://www.patana.ac.th/students/viewGallery.asp?hGalleryID=175>.

 "Www.seabean.com - A Sea-Bean Guide: Red Mangrove (Rhizophora Mangle)." Seabean RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Nov. 2012. <http://www.seabean.com/guide/Rhizophora_mangle/>.

-->

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.

 ______________________________________________________________

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>.

Traditional Use of Mangroves: the Gift that Keeps on Giving

(not done)

Mangroves not only support a huge ecosystem but also humans life.  

Mangroves are traditionally used to make tapa dye, fishing gear, and medicine.  The bark of the trees provides a pigment brown dye while its sap provides a pigment black dye.  The red flowers are used to make leis, honey, and fish poision.  Each type of mangrove species had its unique role.  The prop roots of Rhizophora were used in light construction, for example making fishing traps.  Its seeds are a remedy for a variety of problems such as sore mouth, asthma, backache, constipation, kidney stones, and headaches.  They can also be crushed to make wine, vinegar, and cooking oil.    

The Lumnitzera, on the other hand, is more durable and resistant to marine borers, so it was used in heavier construction.  

Natives made tea and tobacco out of the leaves.   

We are still finding more magic in the Mangroves.  

Rhizophora seedlings as food in times of famine, to cure sore mouth, to produce fuel, tannin and dye and wine having an aphrodisiac effect when ingested and of their use as philters in Arabia.  Researchers are developing on working theories that the mangroves’ toxins repel insects.  We are still learning about mangroves and what they can give us.  

The ash of the red mangrove is used as a soap substitute and other mangrove extracts are used to produce synthetic fibers, such as rayon, and cosmetics.

What’s so special about the timber of Mangrove wood?

Mangrove’s wood burns at high temperature, because it has a high calorific value.  

The wood is also sought after because it produces heavy charcoal which is famous for its pungent smell.  The characoal is not only used in barbequing but also metal production.   

Over and over we see that it has a diverse ____ with diverse applications.