Fishing Ban

Have you heard about the fishing ban in Momi Village? well it just reminds me of the Qoliqoli bill. The Qoliqoli Bill 2006 is said to be a significant piece of legislation for Fiji, "particularly the Fijian community", according to the Fiji government website.The Bill proposes transfer proprietary rights of qoliqoli areas (beach, lagoon and reef ) from the State of Fiji to the qoliqoli owners, who are ethnic Fijians. Others such as hotel owners will be required to make payments to the ethnic Fijians holding the rights.But the Bill became unconstitutional.

Reading todays paper it stated that a villager has placed a fishing ban on its waters and have also placed fish wardens on the coastlines to stop illegal fishing in the area. The villages of Momi and Nabila have put up the ban and they will be guarding their fishing grounds. They have said that people who were not from that area must fish in the outter sea. They were trying to say that outsiders have disturbed the sea bed, damaged the reef and coral due to diving and overfishing. The outsiders even sell the fish in the markets and on the road side. They are ready to seize the outsiders fishing gears if they were found in their area and ask the Fishing Department to suspend or take away their licence.

O.k we do need to preserve our resources and protect our beatiful sandy beaches with its marine organisms; but a ban? Evryone has a right to the natural resources around us,Didin't God create it for man kind to use. Have you been other villagers and seen them banning fishermans...what if fishing is their only source of income...why can't people face abit of competiton? Down in Tailevu at my grandads farm which is near the sea, I have seen Fijian women actually killing little fishes. How? well they use this plant in Fijian its called duva. They kinda pound near the reefs or just on the shore and the fishes just start floating,,,sad ain't it?.

Well whatever I just hope the ban is for the good of man kind and not some kind of whose going to earn more..