WWF-Fiji Country Programme is one of the few NGOs in the country to take an active interest in the conservation and management of native plants of ethno-botanical (cultural) significance to indigenous communities in Fiji. 2 of its most recent successes include a first ever published document on the Trade of Medicinal Plants of the South Pacific and the restoration of Kuta Wetlands in Nakasobu, on Vanua Levu.
Reconnaissance highlighted unsustainable dependence on vesi
The selection of Kabara as a project site is the result of a reconnaissance survey conducted by the organization in 1996, with regard to the islands local woodcarving industry.
The major outcome from this survey was to highlight the heavy dependence of locals on vesi trees for the generation of income and that the demand was leading to an unsustainable level of extraction.
Detailed survey demonstrated sole dependence on vesi tree for carving
A more thorough socio economic and biological survey under the Peoples and Plant Initiative was conducted between 2003 and 2004 on Kabara. The results demonstrated 96% of the islands communities depended on the vesi tree for carving as their main or only source of income.
Alternative sources of income were poorly developed or not lucrative and the woodcarving effort by the community members did not match sale earning attained in urban areas resulting in a non ending cycle of rapid harvest to achieve higher earnings on the island.
Possible collapse of the islands carving industry in the near future
The biological assessment of existing stock established that the existing natural strand of vesi was delimited to the center of the island (8% of the islands total forested area). Most of the central island being inaccessible, the harvested areas showed poor regeneration in sample plots. The standing stock suitable for future woodcarving activities was very limited suggesting a total collapse of the islands carving industry within the next 10 to 15 years.
Local community open to conservation solutions
The local community expressed willingness to implement conservation measures if it addressed issues such as
- sustaining this culturally and commercially valued resource,
- effective, and
- sensitive to the needs to the local community by not hindering economic gain.
This led to an overall acceptance through educational awareness the benefits for on going conservation of such resources.
Developing a suitable community management plan
WWF assists the people of Kabara in effectively developing a suitable community management plan and facilitating suitable vesi conservation interventions (replanting, seed banks, wood skills diversification, effective marketing of sustainable handicrafts etc).
As a starting point, WWF has initiated activities to gauge the community’s knowledge, interest and concerns with regard to the resource.
