Pacific Blue Bequa Lagoon
Marine Reserve Project
ABSTRACT
IGERT fellow David Kline and Greg Mitchell, executive director of the Pacific Blue Foundation,
are working with the Yanuca Island community in Fiji to help them
establish a marine reserve system to protect their coral reefs and
cultural identity. On an initial trip in Fall, 2004 Kline and Mitchell
performed photo surveys of the Beqa Lagoon reefs and met with the
village elders to discuss the most damaging threats facing their reef.
Based on this trip Kline and Mitchell developed the Beqa Lagoon Report
to highlight the major threats to the reef system and possible
solutions. Pacific Blue Foundation is working with the Yanuca community
to implement the Beqa Lagoon Report recommendations and will be helping
to install and monitor a marine reserve system with mooring buoys in
the upcoming years.
All photos by: David Kline
Research by: Dr. David Kline and Dr. B. Greg Mitchell
Project sponsored by: Pacific Blue Foundation - October 2004
Based
on our observations of the coral reefs of Beqa Lagoon during
September/October 2004 we strongly recommend that a system of marine
reserves be implemented for the Yanuca community to protect this vital
ecosystem. Healthy coral reefs are a valuable resource whose beauty
attracts tourists for snorkeling and diving, they create waves for
surfing, they protect the islands coastline from erosion loss, and they
are a nursery and home to many food fish and invertebrates. Our initial
surveys revealed several indications of reef decline that if not
corrected could lead to continuing loss. In this report we outline the
most serious threats that we observed affecting the coral reefs
surrounding Yanuca Island. We then make recommendations to correct
these problems and strongly advise the formation of the first Yanuca
marine reserve centered around Cakau Nisici (Bird Island) and including
parts of Yanuca Island.
Major Threats to Yanuca Coral Reefs:
1) Overfishing and Overharvesting:
Removal of grazing fish such as parrot fish and surgeon fish has
resulted in algae overgrowth of many reefs especially those around
Cakau Nisici. Overfishing has also led to the loss of many fish
critical to the coral reef food web. Further extractive fishing
practices are causing major damage to these coral reefs by removing
animals that provide vital functions. For example the removal of sea
cucumbers (which are vital to clean the sand), shellfish such as
tritons (which are the natural predator to the Crown of Thorn starfish
that can be highly destructive to reefs), or the giant clam (which are
important filter feeders that keep the sea water clean). We strongly
urge that a large fraction of the reserve be set up as "no take" to
immediately begin to correct this problem.
Algae overgrowth killing coral
Parrotfish
2) Anchor damage:
The regular dropping of anchors in reefs areas can destroy corals and
cause damage that can take 10-20 years to recover. Extensive anchor
damage including broken and damaged colonies were observed at several
of the popular tourist diving locations, at Frigate reef a popular
surfing location, at reefs commonly used for fishing, and at boat
anchoring sites around the Yanuca Island. Enforcement of a no anchoring
rule along with a series of mooring buoys at these popular anchoring
sites would quickly minimize this major problem.
Photos: anchor damaging coral; anchor rope breaking coral; broken corals
3) Algae Overgrowth:
Algae are the main competitor with corals and in a healthy reef
ecosystem the algae growth is kept in check by grazing fish and
invertebrates (such as sea urchins). Many of the reefs around Yanuca
Island have a major algae overgrowth problem with large areas of reef
totally covered with algae that smothers and kills the corals. Algae
overgrowth is triggered by a combination of nutrient pollution from
sewage that stimulates algae growth and the loss of major algae grazers
from overfishing. A large no take marine reserve would be an important
step toward alleviating this problem.
Photos: algae overgrowing reef and killing corals.
4) Coral Disease:
Several corals were observed with diseases that can rapidly kill them.
Coral diseases have caused massive damage globally and they are
indicators of an unhealthy reef ecosystem. Sewage run off as well as
other stresses to the coral reef ecosystem can accelerate many coral
diseases. Better processing of human sewage on Yanuca island is
critical to reducing coral disease and algal over growth.
photo: Coral disease (white plague) killing a massive coral.
Recommendations
1)
The Yanuca Island family councils should work with the Beqa councils to
resolve and clarify the boundaries of the takina customary fishery
rights (Qoliqoli).
2) The Yanuca Island Family Council should
discuss the major problems and solutions for the management of their
marine resources following the guidelines of the Fiji Locally Managed
Marine Areas (FLMMA).
3) Immediately install Mooring Buoys and outlaw anchoring on Yanuca reefs.
4)
Establish a no take marine reserve around Cakau Nisici (Bird Island)
that is as large as possible. This will set an important precedent to
develop an integrated system of marine reserves around Yanuca Island to
protect the coral reefs, marine resources, and the traditional fishing
culture of the Yanuca community. This reserve system should be closely
coordinated with the marine protection initiatives in the Beqa lagoon
area.
5) Enforce the no take reserve with land and boat radar
surveillance and 24 hour patrol boat to prevent poaching in the
reserve.
6) Conduct in depth surveys of the Yanuca reef to be
utilized in the formation of the best possible reserve system. Annual
surveys would also be essential for monitoring the success of the
reserve.
7) Diving operators should provide a mandatory 5-minute
environmental education talk before every dive to minimize diver damage
to reefs.
8)
Develop designs for management systems to minimize nutrient and organic
carbon loading of local reefs caused by human sewage from the
commercial camps and the village on Yanuca Island.
