Radio New Zealand International

The Voice of New Zealand, Broadcasting to the Pacific; Te Reo Irirangi O Aotearoa, O Te Moana-Nui-A-Kiwa

The Kadavu Provincial Council in Fiji has approved a proposal by Greenpeace to turn the Great Astrolabe Reef into a marine reserve.

The reef is among the largest in the world and surrounds the island of Kadavu which is about 90 kilometres south of the capital, Suva.

Council chairman Ratu Josetaki Nawalowalo says villages have been creating their own little marine reserves, but monitoring those to stop poachers has been a huge problem.

But Ratu Josetaki is hoping that the partnership with Greenpeace and other stakeholders they’ll be able to get equipment that will help them monitor illegal fishing.

“Although that we could be sitting in the villages at night and watching all the bright lights out there and we couldn’t do anything about it because they are very fast and their fishing boats built for ocean fishing and we have little boats that can’t even chase these big boats nor can we do anything about it.”

Kadavu Provincial Council Chairman Ratu Josetaki Nawalowalo.