Ecotales from Kubulau:
A Guide to the Cultural & Natural Heritage of the Vatu-i-Ra Seascape
by Natalie Askew, Margaret Fox and Stacy Jupiter
Ecotales from Kubulau is a joint publication by WCS Fiji and the Coral Reef Alliance to showcase the remarkable plants and animals that are both astounding in their beauty and culturally important to the people who live in the Vatu-i-Ra Seascape. It is our hope that the guide will raise awareness about the importance of the plants and animals to local livelihoods, cultures, and ecosystem functions. The stories in these pages come directly from the elders of Kubulau, who have described their associations with species for medicine, decorative arts, building materials, food, and totem spirits. By collecting these stories, the traditional knowledge that is rapidly fading away with modernization can now be preserved for the youth of Kubulau and the Vatu-i-Ra Seascape. Proceeds from the sale of the guide will directly support ecosystem management and community development in Kubulau. This guide is available to purchase through
the University of the South Pacific Book Centre or online at:
tinyurl.com/ecotalesatUSP
The Adventures of Joji Goby
by Tui Ledua
With funding through the Disney Friends for Change Initiative, WCS Fiji produced a comic book that chronicles the adventures of Joji Goby as he searches for his family. When he misses the mass migration upstream, he teams up with Crab and Snail to conquer the many challenges along their path due to human modification of the river system. The comic book is designed to teach children and adults alike about the threats to Fiji's waterways and how they can better look after their rivers. The comic book was launched at 5 schools in Kubulau and Wainunu districts in March 2012. Watch the video from the launch here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnM5Jh6CwWs. Contact infofiji@wcs.org for information about obtaining copies in English or Fijian.
Principles and Practice of Ecosystem-Based Management:
A Guide for Conservation Practitioners in the Tropical Western Pacific
by Pepe Clarke and Stacy Jupiter
The EBM Guide provides an introduction to the key principles of ecosystem-based management tailored for the distinctive features of the tropical Western Pacific, including the island states of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia, as well as Indonesia, the Philippines and East Timor. The Guide presents case studies and lessons learned from sites in Fiji (Kubulau, Macuata, Kadavu), Palau (Babeldaob Island) and Indonesia (Bird's Head Seascape), which all received funding under the David and Lucile Packard's EBM Initiative. Pdf versions of the guide can be downloaded here in both English and Fijian:[English] [Fijian]
Catchment Management and Coral Reef Conservation:
A Practical Guide for Coastal Resource Managers to Reduce Damage from Catchment Areas Based on Best Practice Case Studies
edited by Clive Wilkinson and Jon Brodie
Kubulau Case Study by Stacy Jupiter
The Catchment Management and Coral Reef Conservation Handbook published by the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network and the Reef and Rainforest Research Centre provides recommendations to reduce, and where possible, remove the damaging impacts that are delivered by rivers and streams to the coast that can impact coral reefs. These recommendations were developed based on 33 case studies from around the world, including a case study contributed by WCS Fiji on "Implementing Ecosystem-Based Management at the District and Seascape Level in Fiji". A pdf version of the guide can be downloaded from Reefbase here:[pdf]
Good Coastal Management Practices in the Pacific:
Experiences from the field
by Hugh Govan
This report published by the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) presents a series of case studies from around the Pacific illustrating best practices for coastal management at local, provincial, national and regional level. Within the guide are case studies contributed by: WCS Fiji on national conservation planning that incorporates community-based management; The Coral Reef Alliance on equitable sharing of benefits from the Namena Marine Reserve; and the Fiji Locally Managed Marine Area Network on a community governed network to guide national marine resource management. A pdf version of the guide can be download from SPREP here: [pdf]