The cutting of mangroves around the country has brought about the need to renew Fiji’s Mangrove Management Plan.
This was highlighted by the Director of Lands and Surveyor General Mosese Tagicakibau on 16 May at the Environment Impact Consultation Training Workshop at Holiday Inn who also highlighted that Fiji’s current Mangrove Management Plan is out of date.
“The Ministry has a current mangrove management plan that already exists which was published in 2005, and it is out of date now, and so we are putting together a new one due to the increase in new issues that are arising from the cutting of mangroves,” Mr Tagicakibau said.
He added that approaches to the issues of mangrove cutting that were overlooked in 2005 will be added to the new plan.
“The new or renewed mangrove management plan will allow people to know the size of the mangroves that can be cut and the types, as it is mainly for the preservation of the mangroves, it will also include new approaches, and some of the approaches that were overlooked in 2005, so in the new edition there will be other new approaches that will help in the better management of our mangroves and cater to the increasing number of mangrove cutting issues,” Mr Tagicakibau added.
The Ministry of Lands is working together with Principal and founder of Environmental Consultants Fiji Limited Doctor Dick Watling to put together the 2013 edition, which will be released in June as a draft. This will allow various divisions and relevant stakeholders to give in their submissions.
