MES Background

Throughout the 1990s concerns of the Mamanuca Fiji Islands Hotel and Tourism Association (MFIHTA) members in consultation with Coral Cay Conservation (CCC) in 2001 led to a recommendation to the formation of the Mamanuca Coastal Zone Management Group. As a result, the Mamanuca Environment Society (MES) was formed in 2002 by members of MFIHTA as a non-profit, non-governmental organisation. The Society’s objectives being, an initiative to address environmental issues in the region and specifically work towards the protection and betterment of the region’s marine and terrestrial environment. Recent MES projects include Water Quality Monitoring, Reef Check Surveys, Liquid Waste Management, as well as ongoing education and dialogue with stakeholders at community and commercial levels.

MES was legally incorporated and registered as a not for profit, non-aligned society in 2003 and includes cross section membership representation of communal and commercial stakeholders in the Mamanuca region. A Marine Biologist was employed as Project Manager to secure a professional scientific basis for assessing work needed to best assist and protect the environment in the area.

In recognizing both the importance and value of protecting the environment, members of the MFIHTA agreed to financially underwrite the goals of the Society by cash donations and membership contributions. This continued support coupled with other major corporate donor sponsors confirms MES as a self supporting, unbiased and non aligned entity. The Society has no industry agendas be that tourism or local community issues. Rather the focus is solely on the protection and betterment of the environment of the Mamanuca Islands region.