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You are here: Home / News and Events / Fiji MPA News / 4FJ – Love Interrupted

4FJ – Love Interrupted

4FJ Basics

The 4FJ campaign is a movement to protect our way of life in Fiji. Protecting Groupers locally known as Kawakawa and Donu during spawning period is not about fish but protecting our way of life.

4FJ – Love Interrupted

4FJ (short for For Fiji) is asking people from all walks of life to take a simple pledge: “I will not eat, buy or sell kawakawa and donu from June through September.”

FJ4 Campaign

Kawakawa and donu, commonly called grouper in English, are an important source of protein and income for Fiji’s communities. These fish are also commercially valuable to our urban centers and visitor industry, and deeply ingrained in our culture.

However, as Fiji’s population has grown and the demand for both food and income has grown, these fish are declining across Fiji.

But there is some good news: There is something easy everyone can do right  ow to help this fish recover. If we don’t harvest these fish when they’re reproducing, and let them release millions of eggs instead each year, the fishpopulations can begin to rebound.

4FJ (short for For Fiji) is asking people from all walks of life to take a simple pledge: “I will not eat, buy or sell kawakawa and donu from June through September.” These are the peak months that these vulnerable fish reproduce. And if you avoid them June to September, there will be more fish to eat the rest of the year.

4FJ Champion – Pastor Epeli Saukuru

Why these fish?

What makes kawakawa and donu particularly vulnerable to overfishing is the way the fish reproduces. During short periods each year, individuals swim from their home reefs, sometimes covering great distances, to aggregate or gather in one place to reproduce. Scientists call these gathering spots, which are always in the same exact spots year after year, spawning aggregation sites. Most fish do not spawn in such large groups.

In Fiji, these fish typically gather at aggregation sites to spawn in June through September, often around a full moon. Traditionally, these sites were well-known to local fishermen and provided good opportunities to fish them with minimal effort. But in modern times, as fishing pressure has increased, particularly for commercial sale, these unique spawning habits of kawakawa and donu – gathering the same spot each year, and predictably at the same time – have made it easy to overfish them.

Making the issue more challenging, the fish are taken before they produce the next generation of grouper.

So you lose all those fish that year, plus what could be millions of fertilized fish eggs that create the next generation of grouper. The research has also shown that the more you overfish, the longer it takes for sites to recover, and in some cases, the sites never recover.

Beyond the Pledge


A challenge with environmental campaigns is that it often (although unintentionally) sounds like the campaign is about protecting fish, or animals, or plants, and not about people. That’s why 4FJ is striving to also capture the stories behind why people are making the pledge not eat, buy or sell kawakawa and donu.

We want to know what this fish means to you, your family, your village. Tell us about Sunday feast. The birthdays. The trip
back to the village. The school fees paid. Tell us what this fish means to you. Then let us share your stories on our Website, on our social media networks, in the media, at events and in the villages.

This is campaign is your campaign. Your spotlight. Your platform. So let’s raise our collective voice and ensure that no one is confused that this is not about saving a fish, but protecting Fiji’s way of life. We think if we do, good things will happen.

Visit www.4fj.org.fj or drop by our office to raise your voice and support the movement.

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Visiting The Park

You have two options to visit the park.

One is the F$100 Cultural Experience Tour (includes Refreshments, Entertainments & Bilibili Ride) or for those travelling on a light budget, the F$70 Snorkeling Tour.
Visits should be arranged in advance, please call Park Manager on 679-9490792 or 679-7367267 or Park Reception 679-2818815 or 679-8725541

Find out more about planning your visit.

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Welcome to Waitabu Marine Park

Arrive in the tree-adorned island of Taveuni to discover a tropical paradise you’ve only dreamed about. Slip on your fins and mask and slide into the warm waters of Fiji. Let all the stress of everyday life fall away as you make your way along the magical reef of Waitabu.

The communities of Waitubu and Bouma came to protect their native fishing grounds in 1998. Their foresight and diligence has allowed visitors, like yourself, the opportunity to share in the beauty of the Waitabu Marine Park. These crystal-clear waters are home to the most amazing marine species you may ever see. Don’t be too surprised when you pass a sea turtle or find yourself following a gentle ray. You know you’re in paradise when you’ve landed in the Waitabu Marine Park.

Wake up and see the beautiful sunrise over the marine park as the start of every new day begins in Waitabu

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About Us

In 1998 the Waitabu Village of Taveuni declared its fishing grounds or "qoliqoli" to be "tabu" -- a no-take fishing zone. NZAID initially supported the designation with funds for biological surveys and administration. The Wainileli and the Bouma qoliqoli, were continually and heavily overfished, resulting in small fish stocks and damaged coral. Through the continuous drive of community members and non-governmental agencies, the region is now celebrating a healthy and abundant reef for the past 20 … Read More >>

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