New telephone numbers for Matava! - Matava - Fijis Premier Eco Adventure Resort

Matava - Fiji's Premier Eco Adventure Resort has installed a new Satellite Communications System with new telephone numbers. We have new methods of contacting Matava in the Fiji Islands including new telephone and fax numbers and a new Skype name! All running off the in-house solar power!

Our new permanent contact numbers are:

TELEPHONE: +679 603 0685

FAX: +679 603 0684

SKYPE: MatavaFiji

"And so what does this mean to you?" I hear you ask? Well one of the big step forwards is that we now have a 24 hour contact via Skype technology and voice-mail there-in on site at the resort. This will revolutionise our online reservations and booking system.

Matava Resort is proud to install this communications solution purely using the alternative power already available at the resort.

We will maintain our current CDMA/Easytel phone (+679 368 0080) until the end of August 2010, at which point they it be disconnected.

The new system runs on the Gilat SkyEdge System which supports telephony, broadband data and video communications via satellite. It is optimized for transaction-oriented applications, business continuity needs, legacy protocols, rural telephony deployments and multi-topology networks with mesh, star and multi-star topologies.

The system has an uplink speed of 64kbps where the service and support are provided by Connect Fiji.

Not only does the new service out perform its predecessors, the satellite network is designed to perform even under the heavy tropical rain.

The equipment installed at Matava is called a VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal). It consists of a 1.8m dish (situated hidden away behind the resort office) and outdoor electronics for communicating with the satellite and an indoor unit to which our standard telephone /fax lines and laptops are connected. The intelligence within the indoor unit processes the calls and distributes them to assigned telephone lines.

Power for the terminal is purely 12V DC and is supplied by our own in-house solar panels and batteries in our Main Bure complex.

Watch this space for the next phase in the program which is to make WiFi available directly to guests laptops in the Main Bure (shhhhh... this is currently top secret info!)

Once again, here are our new permanent contact numbers:

TELEPHONE: +679 603 0685

FAX: +679 603 0684

SKYPE: MatavaFiji

New telephone numbers for Matava!

Fish certification scheme shows its true colours - environment - 18 July 2010 - New Scientist

NEXT time you spot the telltale blue label at your fishmonger's counter, you needn't worry about whether your supper of "sustainable Alaska salmon" actually came from depleted stocks in the Atlantic.

Several landmark studies have, over the past 20 years, highlighted the problem of mislabelled fish. One-third of fish on sale in the US is not the species it is sold as, and one-quarter of cod and haddock sold in Ireland is neither of these.

Now an exercise in eco-forensics has found that the certification scheme run by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), a global not-for-profit organisation, offers a way of ensuring you get what you think you're buying.

In a blind study, Rob Ogden of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland tested 240 MSC-certified samples bought at supermarkets, restaurants and markets in the US, UK, Japan and Germany. He compared their DNA with validated reference samples. "Nothing came back as anything other than what it should have been," he says.

The study was able to differentiate between species such as farmed Atlantic salmon and the more expensive but sustainable Alaska salmon, and various populations of toothfish. This opens the possibility of telling apart sustainable and unsustainable fisheries of the same species. Ogden now plans to develop tests to distinguish between different populations of cod, herring and hoki.

Fish certification scheme shows its true colours - environment - 18 July 2010 - New Scientist

Shark Savers debuts anti-shark finning campaign in Hong Kong :: Wetpixel.com

Shark Savers debuts anti-shark finning campaign in Hong Kong

Shark Savers debuts the "Say 'No' to shark fin soup" Campaign in Hong Kong at the Diving and Resort Travel Expo

Hong Kong, July 16, 2010. Shark Savers launched the "Say 'no' to shark fin soup" campaign in Hong Kong at the Diving Resort & Travel Expo that opens today and extends through July 18, 2010. Shark Savers, a key participant in the Expo’s theme of marine conservation, will encourage people to stop eating shark fin soup as a means to protect sharks and improve ocean health.

According to Michael Skoletsky, Shark Savers' Executive Director, "Shark populations are being destroyed at a devastating pace throughout the world, primarily due to high consumption levels of shark fin soup. We are bringing the message of the protecting sharks by not eating the soup to Hong Kong, one of the epicenters for shark fin trade and consumption."

Sharks are the apex predators of the seas and have been shown to play an important role in maintaining the healthy balance of other species throughout the ocean food chain.

Hong Kong has long been the center of the shark fin trade. However, there has been a growing movement of people rejecting shark fin soup in this dynamic city. The Shark Savers campaign provides grassroots support to this emerging trend by empowering people to take a Pledge to not eat shark fin soup and to carry the message to their friends, family, local restaurants and businesses and their places of employment.

The “Say ‘no’ to shark fin soup” campaign is an extension of an effort pioneered by WildAid in China. Since 2009, Shark Savers has been partnering with WildAid in China and elsewhere, an effort that includes a powerful advertising message with spokesperson Yao Ming, urging people to stop eating shark fin soup. Yao Ming is Houston Rockets NBA Basketball star, owner of the Shanghai Sharks, and flag-bearer for China’s 2008 Olympic team.

The leader Shark Savers’ volunteers at the Expo, Jonn Lu, has set an ambitious goal -- to get 20,000 Expo visitors to Pledge not to eat or serve shark fin soup. "The Hong Kong Shark Savers team is excited to be part of this growing movement to take shark fin out of soup and keep sharks in the oceans where they can do so much good."

Shark Savers will be encouraging Expo visitors to sign the Pledge at a table at the Expo entrance, at Booth G52 and at its web site. More about shark fin soup, Shark Savers, and the pledge, may be found at http://www.sharksavers.org/sharkfinsoup

About Shark Savers:

Shark Savers is an international non-profit organization founded in 2007 dedicated to shark conservation. It focuses on reducing the consumption of shark fin soup, serving as the voice of sharks for the maligned species, and creating effective shark sanctuaries to protect sharks.

About The Hong Kong Diving, Resort & Travel Expo (the “DRT Show”):

The DRT Show runs from July 16-18, 2010 at the Hong Kong Exhibition Centre. It is one of the largest and most sought after events focused on diving, resort and travel held in Asia, open to the trade and consumers. It is the only Dive Expo supported by Hong Kong Underwater Association (HKUA) and China Underwater Association (CUA). The Expo is expecting an estimated 45,000 to 50,000 visitors over 3 days.

Contacts:

Julie Andersen
julie.andersen@sharksavers.org
Ph:+1.917.546.6618

Mary O'Malley
mary.omalley@sharksavers.org
Ph: +1 305 632 3688

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Shark Savers debuts anti-shark finning campaign in Hong Kong :: Wetpixel.com: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Manta Ray, Kadavu, Fiji

This Manta stayed with us for about 10 mins and kept circling around.

A great experience that I would recommend to anyone. Thanks to the team at Matava.

Remote paradise - TripAdvisor

Matava is the perfect place to experience the beautiful part of Fiji that is Kadavu.

The location is great, overlooking the lagoon and then to the outer reefs in the distance.

The friendly atmosphere created by the owners and the incredible staff (led by the incomparable Maggie) feels just right and the communal dining tables allows a relaxed, informal interaction with the other guests over the fresh and varied food.

The Bures are reasonably simple but very nicely done with decent amenities (lights, running water, proper toilet, shower etc.) considering that it is an eco-resort and very remote.

There is plenty to keep you as active or inactive as desired. Snorkelling is great between the resort and nearby island and others guests said the diving nearby is 1st class. Other activities include boat trips, private beach picnics, surfing and a real highlight of visiting the nearby school, village and waterfall.

The island of Kadavu is a window into the Fiji of the past, untouched by many of the historical colonial influences or present political contrivances.

We really cannot recommend Matava enough if you are looking for something different and beautiful. Set your expectations accordingly (remembering it is an eco-resort and a long way from anywhere) and you will not be disappointed.

Remote paradise - Review of Matava - Fiji's Premier Eco Adventure Resort, Kadavu Island, Fiji - TripAdvisor: