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Fiji - Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan

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Fiji - Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan ______________________________________ FIJI - BIODIVERSITY STRATEGY AND ACTION PLAN OCTOBER 1999 CONSULTATION The formulation of the Fiji Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (FBSAP) incorporated a wide variety of material from diverse sources, but principally consisted of: • Recommendations of reports from Six Technical Groups; • Recommendations of six Community Workshops; and, • Contributions from the members of the FBSAP Steering Committee. Several Drafts of the FBSAP have been intensively discussed by members of the FBSAP Steering Committee since the first Working Draft was distributed in September 1998. Steering Committee members comprise and represent a wide cross-section of Government Departments, Agencies, Statutory Bodies, Non-government Organisations and Private Individuals. All Government Ministries and Departments in anyway involved in Biodiversity management were provided with copies of the Working Draft and invited to the two-day First National Workshop which was held in Suva in October 1998. Consideration of the outcome from the First National Workshop by the Steering Committee resulted in a Final Draft being circulated in February 1999. A nation-wide publicity programme was carried out in preparation for discussion of the Working Draft at Six Regional Biodiversity Workshops. At the same time a Facilitator, Mr Robin Yarrow, was commissioned to ensure that all Government Ministries were fully aware of the Draft FBSAP and had the opportunity to comment if they wished. Subsequently the Second National Workshop was held in August 1999 specifically to hear the views of the Public Sector. This Draft is now considered by the FBSAP Biodiversity Steering Committee to be ready to be presented as a Draft but representing the Final FBSAP for consideration by the Cabinet of the Government of the Fiji Islands. If endorsed, it will published in an attractive format and widely circulated. _____________________________________________________________________________ i TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS............................................................................................ ii 1 INTRODUCTION................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Overview of the Fiji Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan .............................................................1 1.2 Obligations of the Convention on Biodiversity....................................................................................1 1.3 Preparation of the Fiji Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan..........................................................3 2 OVERVIEW OF FIJI’S BIODIVERSITY ............................................................. 9 2.1 A Definition of Biodiversity ..................................................................................................................9 2.2 Status of Biodiversity in Fiji .................................................................................................................9 2.3 Fiji’s Flora..............................................................................................................................................9 2.4 Terrestrial and Freshwater Invertebrates.........................................................................................11 2.5 Terrestrial Vertebrates........................................................................................................................12 2.6 Marine Biodiversity.............................................................................................................................13 3 THE BENEFITS OF BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION AND ECOLOGICALLY SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT........................................................................... 15 3.1 Introduction .........................................................................................................................................15 3.2 Valuation of Fiji’s Ecosystems............................................................................................................15 3.3 Summary Value of Fiji’s Ecosystems.................................................................................................18 3.4 Ecologically Sustainable Development...............................................................................................19 4 THE STRATEGY AND ACTION PLAN............................................................ 20 FOCUS 1: COMMUNITY SUPPORT – AWARENESS, INVOLVEMENT AND OWNERSHIP .......................................................................................................... 22 FOCUS 2: IMPROVING OUR KNOWLEDGE........................................................ 25 FOCUS 3: DEVELOPING PROTECTED AREAS................................................... 27 FOCUS 4: SPECIES CONSERVATION................................................................. 30 FOCUS 5: MANAGEMENT OF INVASIVE SPECIES............................................ 32 FOCUS 6: CAPACITY BUILDING AND STRENGTHENING................................ 35 _____________________________________________________________________________ ii 5 ACTION IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORK ................................................. 37 5.1 Establishing a Management Structure for Implementing the Strategy. .........................................37 5.2 Funding the Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan .........................................................................39 5.3 Monitoring the Implementation and Amendments to the Fiji Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan ...............................................................................................................................................................44 5.4 Recommendations................................................................................................................................44 5.5 Summary of Actions and Implementation Framework....................................................................45 FOCUS 1: COMMUNITY SUPPORT – AWARENESS, INVOLVEMENT AND OWNERSHIP .......................................................................................................... 46 FOCUS 2: IMPROVING OUR KNOWLEDGE........................................................ 50 FOCUS 3: DEVELOPING PROTECTED AREAS................................................... 53 FOCUS 4: SPECIES CONSERVATION................................................................. 56 FOCUS 5: CONTROL OF INVASIVE SPECIES .................................................... 58 FOCUS 6: CAPACITY BUILDING AND STRENGTHENING................................ 61 6 PROJECT PROFILES AND BRIEFS............................................................... 64 REFERENCES ........................................................................................................ 83 APPENDICES: Attachment 1 Contents of the Convention on Biodiversity to be Addressed in National Strategies and Action Plans Attachment 2 Reports of Fiji’s Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan Attachment 3 Authorities and Sources for Table 2.1: Status of Fiji’s Biodiversity Attachment 4 Summary Report on the Regional Community FBSAP Workshops Attachment 5 Preliminary Register of the Sites of National Significance List of Boxes: Box 1.1 An Overview of the Convention on Biodiversity Box 1.2 Invited Membership of the Steering committee of the Fiji Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan. Box 1.3 Technical Groups Box 1.4 Principal Recommendations of the National Environment Strategy in Respect of Biodiversity as a Component of Heritage Protection Box 1.5 Sections of the Revised Sustainable Development Bill (1999) relating directly to Biodiversity and Sustainable Use of Natural Resources Box 1.6 Provisions of the Sustainable Development Bill in Respect of Biodiversity Box 1.7 Parts of the Sustainable Development Bill relating directly to Sustainable Use of Natural Resources _____________________________________________________________________________ iii Box 3.1 Priority Conservation Areas Box 3.2 The Biosafety Issue Box 5.1 Recommended Membership of the Biodiversity Steering committee Box 5.2 Recommended Membership of the Scientific Advisory Committee Box 5.3: Conservation Trust Funds – Distinguishing `Parks’ and `Grants’ Funds. Box 5.4: Innovative Funding Mechanisms List of Tables: Table 2.1: Status of Fiji’s biodiversity. Table 3.1: Ecosystems and Ecosystem Services recognised for Fiji Table 3.2: Value of Fiji’s Ecosystem Services, 1994. Table 5.1: Factors Influencing the Choice between Trust Funds and Conventional Projects. _____________________________________________________________________________ iv ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS Note – In this report `Fiji’ is used, for brevity sake, to represent `the Fiji Islands’ as required by the 1997 Constitution. – A Glossary is provided with the References at the end of the Document. AGO Office of the Attorney General BSC Biodiversity Steering Committee CITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species DCE Department of Customs & Excise DFI Department of Fisheries DFO Department of Forestry DL Department of Lands DOA Department of Agriculture DOE Department of Environment DOT Department of Tourism EIA Environmental Impact Assessment ESD Ecologically Sustainable Development FAB Fijian Affairs Board FBSAP Fiji Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan FETA Fiji Eco-Tourism Association FLIS Fiji Lands Information System FM Fiji Museum FP Fiji Pine FR Forest Reserve FSC Fiji Sugar Corporation FTIB Fiji Trade & Investment Board GIS Geographical
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