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The Fijian archipelago lies in the South Pacific and consists of more than 330 islands. Fiji remains heavily forested with tropical jungle and sits in amazingly vibrant coral seas. Though famous for its pristine white beaches, clear blue waters and fabulous SCUBA diving, the country offers visitors so much more.
Fijian people are regarded as some of the warmest and friendliest of the Pacific Islands and Volunteering on our conservation project offers you a rare opportunity to discover this fascinating culture in a unique way.
South Pacific Projects project site is situated on Leleuvia, a tiny, pristine coral island fringed by coconut palms. Leleuvia is only a few minutes by boat from Moturiki Island, home to some of our community project partners. You will take an active part in our conservation and community development projects and work closely with our field scientists and visiting researchers.
South Pacific Projects successfully initiated a baseline survey of the region in 2009 and from July 2010 new groups of volunteers from the UK, USA and all over the world will arrive on Leleuvia every six weeks. This ensures continuity of our project and sustainability of research in the region. In addition to conservation volunteers, our team comprises Fijian and international research staff.
Our research has helped identif strategies and targets that South Pacific Projects, local communities, the Department of Fisheries, FLMMA and the University of the South Pacific are now working towards to develop sustainable local environmental management plans for threatened reef systems and marine species of the region. These plans focus on improving long-term food security for the local community whilst maintaining the biological diversity and productivity of Fiji’s reef systems.
Global threats to coral reefs are becoming more apparent and now feature regularly in the media. Increasing negative human impacts and climate change are combining to damage and destroy delicate reef ecosystems worldwide; therefore it is more important than ever that data be gathered to contribute to effective new environmental management plans.
The work that South Pacific Projects is carrying out is locally recognised as being critically important by our community partners and the Department of Fisheries. The data that our volunteers and staff gather and the subsequent results of our surveys are reported back to both the community and Fisheries Department. We actively contribute to knowledge of the regions marine ecology and assist the community develop sustainable management plans with our other project partners.
Our Fijian marine conservation project gives you a unique chance to experience one of the last unexplored SCUBA diving locations in Fiji, whilst contributing to genuine conservation, and biodiversity protection, sustainable fisheries, capacity building and our local environmental education programme.
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