Forest Conservation in Fiji
The Vesi : a threatened species
The native tree species vesi (Intisia bijuga) has been identified as seriously overexploited in many parts of Fiji, due to both the commercial timber and carving trade. The species faces the possibility of imminent disappearance as an economic and cultural plant resource due to a number of factors which include unsustainable and poorly planned logging and tree harvest, lack of awareness to which the diversity of value these trees provide, and the failure of recent generations to protect and facilitate the regeneration of native trees in comparison to an overemphasis on commercial exotics such as Pine and Mahogany. The species is classified as “Vulnerable” to extinction on the IUCN Red List.
WWF and its interest in Kabara
WWF Fiji Country Programme is one of the few non governmental organizations in the country who have taken an active interest in the conservation and management of native plants that are of ethno-botanical (cultural) significance to indigenous communities in Fiji. Two of its most recent successes include a first ever published document on the Trade of Medicinal Plants of the South Pacific and the restoration of Kuta Wetlands in Nakasobu, on Vanua Levu.
The selection of Kabara as a project site is the result of a reconnaissance survey conducted by the organization in 1996, with regard to the islands local woodcarving industry. The major outcome highlighted by this survey was the heavy dependence of locals on vesi trees for the generation of income and that the demand was leading to an unsustainable level of extraction. A more thorough socio economic and biological survey under the Peoples and Plant Initiative was conducted between 2003 and 2004 on Kabara, and what the results demonstrated was that 96% of the islands communities depended on the vesi tree for carving as their main or only source of income, alternative sources of income were poorly developed or not lucrative and the woodcarving effort by the community members did not match sale earning attained in urban areas resulting in a non ending cycle of rapid harvest to achieve higher earnings on the island. In addition, the biological assessment of existing stock on the island demonstrated the existing natural strand of vesi was delimited to the center of the island (8% of the islands total forested area), most areas being difficult to gain access to, harvested areas showed poor regeneration in sample plots and the standing stock suitable for future woodcarving activities was very limited suggesting a total collapse of the islands carving industry within the next 10 to 15 years.
The local community expressed the willingness to implement conservation measures if it addressed issues such as sustaining this culturally and commercially valued resource, effective and sensitive to the needs to the local community by not hindering economic gain and led to an overall acceptance through educational awareness the benefits for on going conservation of such resources.
Part of WWF’s intention is assist the people of Kabara where possible, in effectively developing a suitable community management plan and facilitating suitable conservation interventions (replanting, seed banks, wood skills diversification, effective marketing of sustainable handicrafts etc) with regard to vesi. Before being able to achieve this, a series of activities have been begun and undertaken to not only gauge the community’s knowledge, interest and concerns with regard to the resource. Should the project succeed, Kabara will become a model for strengthened capacity of applied ethno-botany, conservation of plant diversity and sustainable use of plant resources amongst local communities not only in Fiji but throughout the South Pacific.
Major Implications Generated from the Study
The first is in regard to sustainable livelihoods, with the eventual projected loss of useable vesi on the island in the near future this would mean the loss of household income for majority of families suggesting solutions must be immediately and aggressively pursued in order ensure that does not happen or somehow the impact lessened. The second implication relates to that of culture and tradition. The people of Kabara are considered the focal community for producing wood artifacts during major ceremonial and traditional gatherings in the Province of Lau, it has been their traditional role for a millennia. With the eventual depletion of the vesi on the island this would mean they would be unable to fulfill their cultural/traditional obligations and role effectively.
The last implication is from a biological or ecological perspective. The diminishing status and possible loss of genetic diversity of many Pacific native trees has been highlighted in regional reports such as “State of Forest and Tree Genetic Resources in the Pacific Islands & Sub-Regional Action Plan for their Conservation and Sustainable Use”. Vesi is amongst the top ten priority species for immediate conservation and proper management due to its presence in ecologically sensitive ecosystems such as littoral forests and mangroves. Furthermore in Fiji especially there is a glaring lack of conservation emphasis or priority placed on Fiji’s native trees with more focus being placed on the introduced and more commercially viable species pine and mahogany. The two species though highly lucrative as commercial commodities do not have the diverse range of usefulness as the vesi tree as vesi aside from its commercial value has an added traditional and cultural value in terms of medicine, dyes, native folklore and symbolism etc.
Interventions
The current activities being undertaken on Kabara by WWF- Fiji and partners such as the Department of Forests to assist the community to redress this concern include:
Community Forest Reserve and Management Plan
A Community Resource Principles Workshop was undertaken on Kabara in June 2005, to begin developing their broad community natural resource use principles and guidelines and to also begin the consultation process on demarcating certain areas of their forest as reserves for protection and zones for replanting. The main output from this workshop was a Draft Community Resource Use Plan (Forest and Marine) and a demarcation of 5 community reserves, covering 5km2 or roughly 1/6 of the island. The information is not confirmed as it is still under the consultation process.
Capacity Building
Part of the project aim is to assist the community diversify their skills in terms of woodcarving, as the survey on the island demonstrated they only carved one specific item, the tanoa (wood basin used for traditional yaqona ceremonies), and the carving of this item has resulted in a lot of wood offcuts being wasted. A community woodcarving skills workshop was conducted from the 13-23 of September, to train 20 community members to utilize the offcuts from vesi to carve other items and hopefully reduce overall wastage of vesi wood on the island in time.