Posted on August, 14 2015

While most people in Macuata are rich in terms of natural resources, they are considered poor because they lack sufficient monetary capital. 
 
Mr. Waisale Tuidama Programme Manager for the Northern Development Programme (NDP), made these remarks when he opened the WWF Business and Household Financial Management workshop in Labasa this morning.
 
Mr Tuidama stated a survey carried out by the Department of Fisheries found that more than 70% of the fish consumed in Suva, is sourced from Vanua Levu.
 
“So as you can see, fishermen in the North are earning a lot of money.”
 
“You as a fisherman are earning more than most people in the cities, but for most of you this is not reflected in your business and your households.”
 
“The training you will be receiving these coming days will give you the resources to turn this around and drive you and your family out of poverty,” he added.
 
An initiative of WWF-Pacific, the three-day workshop is targeted at licensed fishermen from the districts of Dreketi, Macuata, Sasa and Mali, for the purpose of  building the capacity of these local fishermen in financial management and business acumen.
 
Mr. Tuidama commended WWF for organising the training workshop and stated t it aligned to the main objectives of the NDP.
 
“I am especially excited because this initiative from the WWF-Pacific Sustainable Seafood Project, is in line with the work we do at the Northern Development
Programme; improving the livelihoods of the people in the Northern Division,” he said.
 
He further added while efforts that contribute towards development are encouraged, lessons learnt over the years have shown that development has the most impact when implemented via a partnership approach.
  
 “This will ensure that all parties involved in the development take ownership and be appreciative of these projects. Only then, will these projects be sustainable and their benefits fully realized.”
 
“The training you will receive over the next three days is an example of such partnership.  It is a partnership between WWF, NDP, Westpac, and Fisheries Department and most importantly with you, the community,” he added.
 
Funded by New Zealand Aid (NZAid), the WWF Sustainable Seafood Project seeks to secure and enhance the wellbeing of coastal communities in Fiji through sustainable inshore fishing. An output from the Project is the delivery of community support and empowerment via targeted business and household financial management.
 
The workshop will provide fundamental financial literacy training for licensed coastal fishermen to improve basic income management, monitoring of cash flow, budget, and savings for the future. It will also strengthen the fishermen’s business insight and assist them in the development of business plans for their individual fishing projects.
 
The broader objective of this training is to improve the participants’ knowledge and understanding regarding their support towards the sustainable management of the fisheries of Qoliqoli Cokovata.