We are asking people across Fiji to forego kawakawa and donu over the next four months, as these highly valuable fish species gather to breed. Many 4FJ champions have been spreading this message every June, now for many years, and it is important to Keep the Pledge as we continue to work together to help improve the health of our fishing grounds so we can have bigger, better catches.
There are tens of thousands of people who have made pledge before and will keep the pledge. Since , the Government of Fiji has banned the fishing, collecting, transporting, and selling kawakawa and donu from 1st of June to the 30th of September.
June 1 marks the start of the legal ban. In the previous two years, the ban was lifted in the later months, the Government said, because of COVID economic impacts. With COVID travel restrictions lifted and tourism restarted, it is not expected that the ban will be lifted this year. But the Covid pandemic stopped talkback radio for most of the year, along with a lot of direct engagement by partners and government.
In an effort to keep telling community stories, the 4FJ Fish Smart campaign has repackaged past radio shows into a podcast series, which are also available to download as MP3s to reach more communities. There are five shows available in iTaukei-language only and feature community champions and local experts. Community members from mostly outer islands call into each show to ask questions and share feedback.
Each show explores a common problem communities face when managing their fishing grounds. The first show sets the scene for a national talanoa about Fishing Smart. Show 2 discusses how fishing has changed in Fiji. Show 5 promotes an announcement about a local ban on night spearfishing to address the decline of certain reef fish in the Lau Province. The 4FJ Fish Smart campaign is part of regional efforts in scaling-up community-based fisheries management.
