Drua to aid in sustainable fishing

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Marika Tuicaucau (right) and Penaia Lese sail a drua during the Beqa Island Community Training on Traditional Canoe Building and Sailing near Rukua Village on Beqa Island. Picture: SOPHIE RALULU

Ten drua gifted to villages of the two tikina of Beqa will be used to survey restricted fishing areas without any worry on fuel costs, said the Turaga na Tui Sawau Ratu Timoci Matanitobua.

Speaking at the award ceremony for the Beqa Island Community Training on Traditional Canoe Building and Sailing at Rukua Village on Beqa last Friday, Ratu Timoci said the drua would only further the existing efforts to preserve the environment of Beqa.

“In Beqa, we are taking every step to preserve our island home and our lagoon given as a blessing to us, as it is the largest in Fiji,” he said.

“As a community, we have already put in place a restriction on non-recyclable plastic bottles and plastic bags in our communities.”

He said the biggest threat to the people of Beqa was climate change. “We have witnessed that as a result of very strong cyclones striking us, our sea walls and beaches are disappearing,” he added.

He also said the 10 drua would allow the villagers to fish sustainably while saving on fuel costs, reduce emissions and break the debt cycle associated with relying on fossil fuels.

“We can fish more sustainably by fishing when we need to rather than fishing as much as you need to to cover fuel costs.”

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