Background on the Formation of the Mamanuca Environment Society

In 2002 the Mamanuca Fiji Hoteliers Association (MFHA) as a group decided to undertake the formation of the Mamanuca Environment Society (MES). The Society’s charter was to encourage membership from and the inclusion of both community and commercial representative stakeholders in our immediate region. A marine biologist was engaged to lead the establishment and project management of the Society, who would then provide scientific analysis and make recommendations to protect the fragile environment in the area.

MES was incorporated in 2003 and is fully independent, being funded by membership and grants from local and international stakeholders. As such it is accepted as an unbiased organization with no hidden commercial agendas.

Castaway Island, Fiji is a founding member of MES and today performs a leading role in the protection of our precious marine environment.

During the 2004/05 year the project focus for MES includes:

• raising the standards of education and awareness with respect to the role of the Society in the Mamanuca island group
• assisting in creating a greater awareness for all stakeholders underscoring the importance of coral reefs in relation to marine life, its fragile nature, sustainable use and necessary protection
• campaigns centered around Earth Day; Best Practice guidelines for watersports workshops; Green Globe Benchmarking assistance for members; training programs involving resource management techniques for local communities; school programs involving ten island and mainland villages
• forming the Mamanuca Dive Operators Network to encourage dive operators to take responsibility for monitoring reef health whilst gathering information for all stakeholders on the status of the reefs
• installing seventy permanent Reef Check sites in the Mamanuca area
• preparing an annual report for resource owners, resource users, NGOs and Reef Check HQ detailing reef health and empowering dive operators to take on a monitoring role
• developing a program for the installation of environmentally friendly moorings within the Mamanuca area to minimize damage to the reefs
• as the preferred implementation agency for the establishment of Marine Protected Areas (MPA), assisting Coral Cay Conservation (www.coralcay.org) in an educational role for the communities and furthering the process of stakeholder consultation through MPA workshops establishing a water quality sampling and monitoring program.