A UN-backed project is helping Fijians in the district of Korolevu-i-wai to operate sustainable tourism projects associated with Fiji’s coral reef, and support the development needs of the community.
Victor Bonito, a coral reef ecologist, has been working with the local community since 2005, to help them to better manage and restore marine resources in their traditional fishing ground.
Active in coral reef research and conservation efforts around the world for over 22 years, Victor has an extensive knowledge of coral reef ecosystems.
Victor Bonito is a coral reef ecologist and founder of Reef Explorer, a Fiji-based research and development company established to support community-based marine conservation efforts in Fiji.
“Since 2005, I have been working hand-in-hand with the Vanua Davutukia (the native resource owners of the district) to better manage and restore marine resources in their traditional fishing ground. I think it is important that we all remember that we are custodians of natural resources for the generations to come – we must act with them and their future in mind.”
Victor Bonito
These skills are particularly important in a country like Fiji, where the most populated island – Viti Levu – is flanked on its southwest coast by the country’s longest fringing reef system, affectionately known as the Coral Coast.
Working to protect the Coral Coast’s spectacular reef ecosystem, Victor knows that the future depends on a clean and healthy ocean, where protection and sustainable use go hand in hand.
The Investing in Coral Reefs and the Blue Economy (ICRBE) programme supports the customary fishing rights owners for the Korolevu-i-Wai community, to sustainably operate coral-reef-associated ecotourism attractions and activities in the Locally Managed Marine Area, as well as help support the communal development needs of the community.
Launched in early 2021, the ICRBE programme leverages philanthropic and development finance to mobilize commercial investments, promote the financial sustainability of coral reef conservation, and accelerate reef-positive livelihoods.
Orisi Seniucudromo has lived in Namada village for almost 50 years. His extended family all live in the same community.
The programme has a direct effect on his life.
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Blue Investment
Through the Investing in Coral Reefs and the Blue Economy (ICRBE) programme, funded by the Global Fund for Coral Reefs (GFCR) and the Joint SDG Fund, support is being channelled to the district of Korolevu-i-wai.
The programme supports the customary fishing rights owners for the Korolevu-i-Wai/Koro-i-Nasau qoliqoli (community) to operate coral-reef-associated ecotourism attractions and activities to generate revenue to support the effective management, conservation, and sustainable use of the Korolevu-i-wai/Koro-i-Nasau Locally Managed Marine Area (KiW/KiN LMMA), as well as help support the communal development needs of the community while also offering them economic opportunities.
Namada, where Victor lives and works, is one of four traditional villages in theKorolevu-i-Wai District that will benefit from the programme’s interventions.
Collective Action for the Ocean
Launched in early 2021, the ICRBE‘s joint programme leverages philanthropic and development finance to mobilize commercial investments, promote the financial sustainability of coral reef conservation, and accelerate reef-positive livelihoods.
Representing the best of collective action for the ocean, the programme is working to leverage US$50M in investment capital by 2030.
This joint programme is a collaboration with partners that include UN agencies (UNDP, UNCDF, UNEP), Matanataki, Blue Finance, Fijian local actors, and the Government of Fiji.
Namada Desiderata
In Namada, the ICRBE project accomplishments will be measured by real-world improvements to coral reefs and marine environments; these achievements are buoyed by a series of terrestrial financial innovations.
As a coral ecologist and conservation practitioner, celebrating, protecting, and restoring Fiji’s marine resources are all part of my daily activities. The coral reef and surrounding environment is the backbone of our local economy where I live on the Coral Coast, and is also critical to the food security of our local community.
Victor Bonito
Partnerships for coral
For Orisi Seniucudromo, the ICRBE programme is more than a financial abstraction.
As he approaches 50 years of residence in Namada village, his parents and children are just part of the extended familial relationship he has with the region and its environment.
I often tell the villages and everyone I talk to that humans are part of the ecosystem and as such we should treat plants and animal species as part of our family. It’s bringing the relationship of people and the environment to this perspective that really convinces a lot of people in my opinion and experience.
Orisi Seniucudromo
Orisi’s commitment to the community and its environment is carried out through work for local NGOs and the area’s committee of elders.
Marine conservation efforts have been ongoing in the Korolevu-i-wai district since 2002. Orisi reflects on how they continue to generate tangible results for the community
Working to amplify and support these efforts, the ICRBE programme aims to provide finance to help unlock additional revenue from ecotourism.
For Orisi, these efforts are not solely about restoring previous damage to reefs and marine ecosystems, they are a means of being a good ancestor:
We need to always have our next generation at the back of our mind when we do developments and in our normal daily life when interacting with our ecosystem.
Orisi Seniucudromo
By UNDP Ecosystems & Biodiversity
IN ACTION FOR THE OCEAN, FINANCING FOR NATURE & GLOBAL FUND FOR CORAL REEFS
Victor Bonito is a coral reef ecologist and founder of Reef Explorer, a Fiji-based research and development company established to support community-based marine conservation efforts in Fiji.
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