Seagrass restoration project to benefit Nataleira village

7 July, 2023 - A pilot seagrass restoration project was undertaken earlier this week in the village of Nataleira in the Dawasamu district.

Led by the Management and Conservation of Blue Carbon Ecosystem (MACBLUE) project in collaboration with the Fiji National University and supported by the Locally-Managed Marine Area Network (LMMA), the project included an knowledge exchange session on seagrass extent and ecosystem goods and services.

GIZ MACBlue Project Manager Raphael Linzatti said that the knowledge session proved very fruitful as about 50 community members including women and youth groups, from the four surrounding villages shared their knowledge on their 'Qoliqoli’ (fishing grounds) and its seagrass ecosystems.

“We are very pleased to have our partners the Fiji National University and the Locally Managed Marine Areas Network, in Fiji’s first ever seagrass restoration project,” Linzatti said.

“We are looking forward to this opportunity in piloting this project and trialing different types of seagrass restoration methods,” he added.

LMMA Network Team Leader, Alifereti Tawake, is happy the organization is partnering with relevant stakeholders to restore seagrass as it is a way forward for Fiji and the Pacific in sinking more carbon from the ocean while improving the productivity of our coastal fisheries and marine ecosystems.

“The LMMA is happy to be partnering with stakeholders like the MACBlue Project to use the lessons from this pilot study to scale up seagrass restoration as part of local management measures by communities as part of building coastal fisheries resilience and the national and regional ocean management efforts.

The LMMA is always looking at ways in which our communities can restore its marine ecosystem and eventually improving livelihoods.”

Villager Marika Nayacakuru Dau shared the learning has been really valuable and useful for him.

“For us in the coastal communities, the awareness has served as a great platform to inform us on sustainable living especially on the management of our natural resources”

“It has been a big learning step for me. Whilst growing up, I only knew one variety of seagrass, however, after the workshop it was great to learn that there were other species of seagrass as well,” he shared.

“The workshop has really changed how we view seagrass and its role in carbon restoration and food security especially with its depleting stock,”

“I am so grateful for the awareness today and I can’t wait to play my role in seagrass restoration.”

The awareness session took place on July 4 and a follow-up seagrass restoration exercise is scheduled for July end.