AUIP’s main field guide in Fiji, Helen Sykes, has been busy since the last of the AUIP 2011 groups departed Fiji in July. Helen is the Fiji Shark Campaign Manager for the Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL).

CORAL, in partnership with the Pew Environment Group and the Fijian Ministry of Fisheries, have been busy this year increasing the understanding and awareness for shark protection in Fiji.

The CORAL website provides the following information:

The campaign’s objective is to create a Fijian National Shark Sanctuary that will:

• Prohibit the commercial fishing of sharks throughout the Fijian exclusive economic zone;
• Prohibit the import and export of shark products in Fiji;
• Prohibit the sale of shark products within Fiji;
• Allow recreational catch and release of sharks; and
• Allow the incidental, artisanal catch of sharks by citizens of Fiji, assuming the subsequent shark or shark products are not sold.

Sharks have long held a place of respect and worship in Fiji, but past efforts to legally protect them from local and international fishing pressures were met with resistance. However, with the recent increase of shark sanctuaries around the world the current campaign is gathering further support and momentum than previously.

In July, Fiji’s Department of Fisheries and Forests confirmed that they were reviewing Fiji’s fisheries laws and is considering revisions that would include a ban on the trade of all shark fins and other products derived from any shark captured in Fijian waters. The passing of such a law would make Fiji the first Melanesian country to approve such comprehensive protection for sharks.

As part of the community-based conservation efforts in Fiji, CORAL’s field staff and shark sanctuary campaign partners worked with a local production company to produce ‘Shark Hope.’ Told from a uniquely Fijian perspective, the stories and imagery used in this educational film are a reflection of the local community’s rich traditions and cultural identity. Check out the video here:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jD2tszG-jzA]

You can help CORAL by becoming a Fiji Shark Defender by signing the pledge to support policies and initiatives that will restore a healthy shark population in Fiji.