WWF South Pacific News

An enchanted evening for the endangered turtle

The Annual Turtle Benefit Ball is promising to be another evening of fun, feasting and most importantly, gathering much needed support for turtle conservation in Fiji. The event scheduled for 7th June, 2008 has already attracted commitments from resorts such as Musket Cove, The Pearl, Sonaisali Island Resort, Beachcomber, The Lagoon Resort, Tradewinds Hotel & Convention Centre and corporate bodies such as Pure Fiji and Fiji Water.

The inaugural Turtle Benefit Ball held in 2007, attracted more than 200 guests from different professions and repute to aid WWF Fiji and partners in their efforts to protect the endangered sea turtle – a cultural icon for the island nation. The Ball raised a total of FJD 10,000.

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Fiji’s first Earth Hour: Millions Switch Off and Switch On to Climate Change

9 April 2008, Suva, Fiji. YOU made a difference by ‘switching off’ the lights on the March 29th when our tiny island nation of Fiji led the world in the fight against climate change.

Some of you sat outside your shops with candles, children reminded their parents to click the switch, some had kava in darkness in their village, others lit diya’s and candles when watching rugby, while some paddled to light torches.

Kesaia Tabunakawai, WWF South Pacific Programme Representative said,

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Hour of darkness shines a light on our precious reefs

26 March 2008. This weekend will see Suva participate in Earth Hour – the global initiative by environmental organisation WWF in which cities around the world switch off their lights for one hour to show their support for action on climate change.

As we countdown to Earth Hour, WWF is calling on governments, business and communities to think about how they can help protect one of the planet's natural treasures most threatened by climate change - coral reefs.

The diverse marine life in Fiji’s waters are adjacent to the scientifically declared Coral Triangle - the world's centre of marine life - a dazzling and diverse region that provides income and livelihoods for millions of coastal people. It supports an extraordinary range of marine life which in turn supports hugely valuable industries such as tourism and fisheries.

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Macuata Women’s Association ‘switches on’ with renewable energy

25 March 2008. As the rest of Fiji gears to turn off their lights for one hour on the 29th March in solidarity for Earth Hour and reducing carbon emissions globally, Visoqo Village will be showing their support by turning their lights on using renewable energy.

Visoqo Village is on the northern province of Macuata, Vanua Levu the second largest island in Fiji. For this isolated village in the north, basic lighting has been long overdue. With the support of the Macuata Soqosoqo ni Marama (Macuata Women’s Association) and UNDP- GEF Small Grants Programme, this community will finally experience the novelty of turning on their lights with a switch, but doing one better by going solar.

‘Marama ni Yadua’ Returns!

Fiji's first satellite turtle tagging

12 February 2008. Feature story by Jone Niukula & Sainivalati Navuku

Attempts over the last 2 years to locate and satellite tag a nesting turtle in Fiji bore fruit in January this year. The collaborative effort between the National Trust of Fiji (NTF), the community of Yadua, SPREP (Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme), NOAA (National Ocean & Atmospheric Administration) and WWF has been the climax of on-going efforts over the past years to protect an endangered cultural icon.

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