MINISTER FOR ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE HON. MOSESE BULITAVU'S ADDRESS AT THE COMMEMORATION OF INTERNATIONAL DAY OF BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY (IDB) 2025

Ladies and Gentlemen

Today, we join the global community in commemorating the International Day for Biological Diversity 2025, under the theme “Harmony with Nature and Sustainable Development.” It is a timely and urgent reminder that our future — as individuals, as communities, and as nations — is deeply intertwined with the health of our natural world.

This theme challenges us to go beyond words and pledges. It demands that we reimagine our relationship with the environment — not as masters of nature, but as part of it. Not as consumers of resources, but as stewards of life. Nature is not a backdrop to human progress; it is the very foundation of it.

For us in Fiji, this message resonates deeply. Long before the term "sustainable development" entered global discourse, our people lived it. Our traditional knowledge systems, especially the Vanua concept, have always emphasized balance — between land and sea, people and place, tradition and progress. This wisdom has been passed down through generations and must continue to guide our decisions in this modern era.

Biodiversity is not just about plants and animals. It is about survival. It gives us clean air, fresh water, nutritious food, medicine, protection from disasters, and livelihoods. It underpins our climate resilience and economic prosperity. Yet today, biodiversity — here in Fiji and around the world — is under threat like never before.

Our forests are disappearing. Coral reefs are bleaching. Species unique to our islands face extinction. The web of life is unravelling, and with it, the safety nets that sustain our communities.

But let me be clear: we are not standing idly by.

The Government of Fiji has taken bold and deliberate steps to protect our biodiversity. Our National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan — aligned with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework — sets out an ambitious path to conserve our ecosystems, restore degraded areas, and ensure the sustainable use of our natural resources for generations to come.

We are seeing real progress. Across Fiji, community-based conservation is thriving. Locally Managed Marine Areas are expanding, giving power back to our coastal communities to manage their reefs and fisheries. These are not just conservation projects — they are acts of sovereignty, of cultural revival, of hope.
 
Protected areas like the Upper Navua Conservation Area — a Ramsar-listed wetland — stand as symbols of what is possible when we put nature first. These ecosystems are not only rich in biodiversity; they are sacred, they are life-giving, and they are irreplaceable.

We are also integrating biodiversity into the heart of our national development. Through initiatives such as the BIODEV Pacific Project, we are mobilizing finance and aligning conservation with economic planning — because protecting nature should never be seen as a cost, but as an investment in our collective future.

And our work does not stop there.

Our mangrove replanting initiatives along the coastline are a powerful example of nature-based solutions — shielding communities from rising seas, restoring fisheries, and drawing down carbon. Our ban on single-use plastics and strengthened waste management systems are reducing pollution that chokes our rivers and reefs.

These actions — large and small — are building a future where nature and people thrive together.

But let us be honest with ourselves. The road ahead is long. The challenges are many. And the time to act is now.

We must shift from awareness to accountability. From pilots to scale. From fragmented efforts to a united front. Protecting biodiversity is not the job of one ministry, one agency, or one group. It is a shared responsibility — and it requires all of us.

Women and youth. Chiefs and scientists. Farmers and business leaders. Faith-based groups and policymakers. Development partners and traditional custodians. Your voices matter. Your leadership matters. Your actions matter.
So, on this International Day for Biological Diversity, let us renew our commitment. Let us move with urgency, with courage, and with solidarity.

Because biodiversity is not just part of our environment. It is part of our identity. It is our legacy. And it is our moral obligation to pass on a healthier, more vibrant, more resilient planet to our children and grandchildren.

Let us act — together and without delay — to build a future where people and nature exist in harmony, where development is truly sustainable, and where no voice and no species is left behind.

Vinaka vakalevu. Thank you and may we all be champions for biodiversity.