Reduced funding resources and loss of staff members have affected the National Trust of Fiji’s (NTF) ability to effectively monitor and manage the Sigatoka Sand Dunes National Park, says NTF director Elizabeth Erasito.
She made this comment during a handover of a DJI Mavic 3 drone to NTF from Leadership Fiji’s Community Fund (LFCF) last Saturday.
A media statement read the drone would be used to assist NTF in effectively monitoring the park and boundaries in tracking the spread of invasive plant species, wildfire damage assessment, litter encroachment, seed planting success, poaching areas, illegal sand mining and other areas.
“This drone enables us to utilise aerial surveillance as a relatively risk free, low-cost and sustainable way to rapidly and systemically monitor the Sigatoka Sand Dunes National Park and other areas that NTF manages,” said Ms Erasito.
“The drone was successfully used to monitor and capture images of the adjacent rubbish dump which has started to spillover onto protected land – this evidence had been sent to the Ministry of Local Government who has assured NTF that necessary action will be taken to resolve this.”
LFCF chair Rajesh Patel said the organisation was pleased to facilitate the drone for NTF and commended NTF on the exceptional work they continued to do in protecting Fiji’s biodiversity and the benefits nature brought to the people.
“For us at LFCF, conservation is important especially as heritage sites such as Sigatoka Sand Dunes provide clues to our past and how society has evolved,” he said.
“Also, as we progress to the future, land is cleared to make way for new developments and for this reason we need to make equal strides in protecting such areas.”
