The limitations of boats powered by outboard motors will no longer be a hindrance to the gonedau or fisherfolk of Beqa Island.
Speaking at the awards ceremony of the Beqa Island Community Training on Traditional Canoe Building and Sailing, one of the five female awardees and traditional fisherwoman, Senimelia Narimo, said engine failure was always a worry.
“Sometimes, it is not easy being a fisherwoman when the seas get rough, we worry if the engine will fail,” Ms Narimo said.
“In my village, the women get into fibreglass boats early to go fishing in the waters of Dakuibeqa. “We fish until we have enough for our meals or what the boat can take.
Most times we put in for the fuel so it’s cheaper.”
She said she was proud to be from the gonedau tribe of Dakuibeqa and to be an awardee of the training course.
“As the traditional fisherfolk community, the knowledge to build and sail the drua will help us women save our money and at the same time save our ocean from getting polluted by the fuel.
“Together we can teach other women and men not just in Fiji and the Pacific but also in the world.”
