(August 06, 2021) A 2020 study highlighted that the citation gap between genders was skewed a full 30 percent in favour of male scientists across thirteen STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, Medicine) disciplines. Other studies have highlighted sex-specific conscious and unconscious biases that lead to a higher rate of manuscript rejections and lower rate of publication in prestigious journals for women.  Discussions of a broken value system are prevalent across different fields of science...

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(May 10, 2021) A study was conducted to understand the structure, processes, and actions of water committees in Indigenous Fijian (iTaukei) villages as part of the Watershed Interventions in Systems Health in Fiji (WISH Fiji) project. Village water committees are important as they address and manage issues in their local communities. They have local knowledge which can help set standards of what is acceptable behaviour and enforce rules about water. Publishing their results in the International Journal of Wat...

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(February 26, 2020) With two thirds of the population living within one kilometer of the coast, coastal fisheries are a critical resource for food security, nutrition, livelihoods and cultural practice or kastom in Vanuatu. Last year, the Vanuatu Department of Fisheries launched the “Vanuatu National Roadmap for Coastal Fisheries: 2019‒2030”. Vanuatu’s roadmap is comprehensive, aligning with the Melanesia Spearhead Group’s roadmap for inshore fisheries, as well as other regional (e.g. New So...

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(October 20, 2019) While the rest of the country celebrated Fiji Day, a team of dedicated Fijian scientists continued their surveys of coral reefs around Ovalau Island. It felt apt to be there, close to Fiji’s old capital Levuka which became a World Heritage Site in June, 2013. Each day we SCUBA dive to collect baseline data on coral cover, coral disease, and reef fish communities to help us document and better understand how land use practices are impacting downstream coral reef habitats. Heavy rainfall ear...

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(October 13, 2019) Healthy watersheds are fundamental to human health and wellbeing whether you live inland or along the coast. Ridge-to-reef management is not new and organisations like the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) have been supporting communities take a holistic and integrated approach to managing their resources for more than a decade.Catchment management is an important issue in Fiji as land use practices such as forest clearing and agriculture are increasingly impacting watersheds, causing rivers t...

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(September 10, 2019) Anyone who had the deep privilege of meeting, working, diving or fishing with Steven McLaren Lee could not help but feel hopeful about the future. Steven brought so much life and energy to everything he did. He was fearless, willing to try anything, giving a hundred percent to any task he set himself. I first met Steven when he turned up on the doorstep of the Wildlife Conservation Society to discuss ideas for his Master of Science degree. Steven wanted to find a topic that would have real impac...

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(September 05, 2019) J. Hunter Pearls Fiji has been producing high quality pearls with ‘distinctive hues’ since early 2000, and made Fiji pearls a sought after brand. The owner, Justin Hunter works closely with local communities in Vanua Levu, providing jobs for local communities. Pearl oysters are filter feeders, requiring clear pristine waters to grow and thrive. They can filter about 1400 litres of water a day capturing plankton (small microscopic animals in the water column) and other small particles...

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(June 08, 2019) Most of the Pacific’s population is coastal, and therefore our people are highly reliant on inshore fisheries for their food and livelihood needs. What most people don’t realise or appreciate is that women make up a large percentage of those involved in formal and informal fisheries sector. In many cases, women are the primary protein and/or income supporter for their families. Despite this, women are often excluded from governance and decision-making, and are not afforded the same ...

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