Fiji’s Fisheries Department says the introduction of a traditional fishing restriction will help rejuvenate fish stocks.
Community authorities have recently placed a second tabu off the island following concerns about overfishing.
Traditional leader Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu says much of the overfishing is a result of people simply catching fish for personal consumption.
The tabu bans commercial fishing, and places certain areas off limits - even to subsistence fishermen - for six months.
The Deputy Secretary of Fisheries, Mrs Penina Cirikiyasawa, told Radio Australia’s Pacific Beat the tabu will complement their efforts to regulate fishing.
“We encourage this because at the moment we don’t have enough resources to police this, to enforce our regulations so this is another initiative that can come in and help us,” she said.
Mrs Cirikiyasawa says the Fisheries Department expects to see results soon.
“This is workable because this is from the community. They decided themselves that this is the way forward for conservation of fishery stocks,” she said.
Locals say supplies are so low they cannot even meet demand from the island’s hospitality industry.
Traditional chief, the Tui Cakau Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu, says the move is necessary.
“There is a shortage of fish here. There is an island resort here and their demand is for about 1,000 kilos of fish every week and that we cannot produce,” he said.
He says part of the problem is that people are fishing illegally.
“It’s just a matter of us putting things in black and white and in writing and on top of that, having meetings with the fisheries officials so that they can carefully look into it and police the areas as well.”
