Fiji has third largest mangrove coverage

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Fiji Navy Able Seaman Maki Kulanikoro and Serggeant Manabu Ikeda plants a mangrove plant at the Suva Foreshore. Picture: JONA KONATACI

Based on satellite imagery analysis, Fiji has the third largest mangrove coverage in the Pacific, estimated at 43,650 hectares.

While opening the Stakeholder Consultation for the Draft Mangrove Conservation Management Regulation and the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) roundtable last week, Director for Environment Sandeep Kaur Singh said studies revealed mangroves were destroyed at five times greater than average rates of forest loss worldwide.

She said the consultation would raise awareness on the importance of mangrove ecosystems and could promote solutions for sustainable management, conservation and usage. “Mangrove ecosystems stand as one of the most versatile and vitally important coastal ecosystems in Fiji,” she said.

“They support a rich biodiversity and provide a valuable nursery habitat for marine lives.

“Mangroves also act as a form of natural coastal defense against storm surges, tsunamis, rising sea levels and erosion.”

She said in recognising the importance of mangrove ecosystems, the Ministry of Environment, through partnership support of WWF, under the Bezos Earth Fund had drafted the Mangrove Conservation Management Regulation for Fiji, under the Environment Management Act 2005.

“The Mangrove Conservation Management Regulation will pave the way for the ministry, in terms of regulatory direction and decision for mangrove conservation and protection for Fiji.

“Once endorsed by the Cabinet and gazetted, will strengthen existing protection measures on Fiji’s mangrove ecosystem with efforts to halt further losses and support the restoration of degraded mangrove ecosystems and functions.”

She said it would strengthen the Ministry of Environment’s legislative mandates to ensure mangroves were protected and that coastal developments that targeted mangrove areas were closely monitored.

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