Fiji needs to set up marine protected areas (MPAs) and marine managed areas (MMAs) outside i qoliqoli boundaries in its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) to meet its commitment to protecting 30 per cent of its marine areas.
This was a major point of discussion during a meeting on MPAs organised by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) at the Holiday Inn in Suva on Tuesday.
In a statement, the IUCN said in 2005 Fiji made a declaration to effectively protect 20 per cent of Fiji waters by 2020.
Last year Fiji agreed to protect 30 per cent of it and sustainably manage 100 per cent of its EEZ by 2030.
Since 2014 the management of i qoliqoli (customary fishing grounds) areas in Fiji has rapidly expanded to 78.2 per cent, covering 1.8 per cent of Fiji’s EEZ. Because marine i qoliqoli areas collectively only cover 2.3 per cent of the territorial waters within its EEZ, Fiji cannot meet the 30 per cent target by focusing on inshore areas alone.
“The greatest opportunity to significantly expand the management of Fiji’s waters and make substantial progress against the 30 per cent target is to establish offshore MMAs, outside of the boundaries of the i qoliqoli areas this commitment has now been extended to 2030,” the statement said.
“To reach the 30 per cent target by 2030 would require significant expansion and commitment in MMAs requiring an additional coverage of 28.2 per cent, or 366,604 square kilometres over offshore waters outside of i qoliqoli areas within Fiji’s EEZ.”
