MES Staff
- Betani Salusalu
- Project Manager
- Betani took up the post on the 21st of May 2007. Previously, he worked as the Director for the Community-Based Conservation Programme with Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) for 5 years. He has also worked for various organizations like National Trust of Fiji, WWF, Birdlife International, UNDP’research, Republic of Fiji Military Forces, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Justice, Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ).
Betani is originally from the Island of Lakeba in the Lau group and received his secondary education from Ratu Mara College. He then moved to Suva to pursue and complete his tertiary education from the University of the South Pacific (USP).
- Fesi Isimeli
- Project Assistant
- Fesi joined the Society in December, 2005 bringing with her a network of contacts from key institutions and organizations such as the University of the South Pacific (USP), World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Department of Fisheries and Department of Environment to name a few.
Prior to her involvement with MES, Fesi worked with the LạjeRotuma (pronounced lecherotooma) Initiative of which she was also a founding member. Highlights of her work include raising environmental awareness, visiting and assisting communities in Rotuma on implementing conservation management plans and facilitating workshops on community-based management. She also assisted her colleagues in training regional students from USP be better facilitators in applying Participatory Learning and Action Plan or PLA approach, a tool used in community-based management.
Fesi graduated from the University of the South Pacific with a degree majoring in Marine Affairs and History and Politics. Some of her interests include an extensive research on turtle conservation, improving the sustainable management of crown-of-thorns starfish removal programmes in the Mamanucas and bringing about positive behavioral changes in the region through environmental awareness programmes delivered in schools, communities and at resort levels.
- Diana Nagatalevu
- Project Officer
- Diana joined MES in March, 2007 as an attachment trainee and has recently been offered the position of project officer in October. She has been instrumental in the technical component of the organization. Diana graduated with a science degree from the university and worked concurrently as a research assistant during her final semester before joining the Society.
Most of her tasks involved laboratory analysis, numerous field visits, creating a geological map of a selected reef, liaison with experts and key individuals from the university and regional organizations and assisted with the collection of data needed for compiling technical reports. Having received her education and work experience from USP, Diana is enthusiastic about being part of a dynamic team and contributing to the betterment of the Mamanuca environment. Some of her interests include analysis of seawater quality, bringing environmental awareness to primary schools and resorts and investigating the health of coral reefs through reef check surveys. She intends to further her studies on marine geology and coral reef ecology and management.
- Kenneth Cokanasiga
- Volunteer
- Ken is a graduate of the University of the South Pacific and holds a Bachelors Degree in Arts with majors in Geography & Tourism. During his University years, Ken gained work experience with well established organizations such as the Secretariat of the Pacific Community and Live and Learn doing volunteer work. He worked with Captain Cook Cruises as a Sales and Marketing Officer for a period of 3 months before joining the Society in January 2008. Ken is responsible for the School Awareness and Education Program which is carried out at 3 different Schools in the Mamanuca region.
Volunteers/Attachment Workers
The Society currently accepts volunteers who have also helped in many ways in the undertaking of the Society’s work. Most individuals have lent a hand in recognition of how much this fragile resource means to them, while some have utilised the opportunity as a tool to further their work in contributing to environmental management.
Previous Members
- Alifereti Qauqau
- Previous Project Manager (2005-2007)
- A graduate of the University of South Pacific, Qauqau was also a former employee of the Institute of Applied Science (IAS) at the University of the South Pacific, where, he worked under the Environment Unit’s Integrated Coastal Management project, as well as the Department of Fisheries as Project Officer for Inshore Fisheries Research.
