World Fisheries day is celebrated every year on November 21 throughout the world by the fisher folk communities.
World Fisheries Day was celebrated on November 20th at Malolo Island Resort with the aim of creating awareness to guest and staff on the importance of protecting Fiji’s fisheries. World fisheries day was established to draw attention to overfishing, habitat destruction and other serious threats to sustainability of freshwater and marine resources. The theme for the celebration was “Conserving Underwater Environment through Advocacy and Action”.
The celebration was attended by 7 guests (2 Adults and 5 Kids) and 10 staff. Staffs were represented from each department ranging from maintenance to front office to Spa. Guests and staff took part in three activities to mark this event including Coral planting, Beach and underwater clean-up and crown of thorns removal. “This is a great awareness for me and my kids, especially in teaching them the great benefits of the marine ecosystem. I did not know that coral can be planted and grown/transplanted again in the reef, it is really interesting and I am pleased with the great work that Malolo and MES is doing in the region.” said Mrs. Maddox, a guest at Malolo Island resort. At Malolo island resort, guests and staff were reminded that World Fisheries day celebrations serve as an important reminder that we must focus on changing the way the world manages global fisheries to ensure sustainable stocks and healthy oceans ecosystems.
A recent United Nations study reported that more than two-thirds of the world’s fisheries have been overfished or are fully harvested and more than one third are in a state of decline because of factors such as the loss of essential fish habitats, pollution, and global warming. (https://www.gdrc.org/)
Majority of Fiji’s human settlements, whether small villages or cities, are situated in close proximity to water bodies. Besides the importance of water for survival and as a means of transportation, it is also an important source of fish and aquatic protein.
Fish forms an important part of the diets of people in Fiji and around the world, particularly those that live near rivers, coasts and other water bodies. A number of traditional societies and communities are rallied around the occupation of fishing, with fish being highly regarded in certain tribes.
This proximity combined with other anthropogenic activities has also lead to severe ocean and coastal pollution having a detrimental effect on fisheries. For instance the depletion of fish stocks in the immediate vicinity, requiring fishermen to fish farther and farther away from their traditional fishing grounds.
