MEREANI GONEDUA
Minister for Fisheries Semi Koroilavesau has stressed the need for all Fijians to practice sustainability in order to save for the future especially during tough times.
Minister Koroilavesau, who visited seven villages in the Yasawa Group, reminded villagers of the need to sustain, protect and manage resources whether from the sea or in land.
“Overall the main reason for this trip to Yasawa was basically to continue with our program that we have carried out throughout Fiji. The major factor we wanted to stress was the subject of sustainability.”
“As I have emphasised throughout the whole week is that sustainability has a few stages as far as the Ministry of Fisheries is concerned. Sustainability in the way we approach fisheries resources and how we go about in order to mitigate climate change and the various factors that affects fishing industry right now.”
Minister Koroilavesau highlighted that villagers need to approach fishing activity with sustainability in mind so that they would be able to maintain stock for future generation.
He stated that he was aware of the men and women who had worked in the tourism sector and had been unemployed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This is perhaps going to be the most trying time for the nation as a whole as we try to address the challenges ahead. Let us work together so that we are able to slowly transform into the ‘new normal’.”
“This is not the time to be making hasty decisions but definitely the time to be making wise ones as we try to help each other out in terms of food security and income generation and the overall sustainability of our resources.”
The Minister assured villagers that there were also discussions underway for a mobile market for villagers in the four districts of Waya, Naviti, Nacula and Yasawa-i-rara.
He said that Government officials led by the Commissioner Western’s office will soon run a weekly or bimonthly market service for them.