UC San Diego Capstone Papers

Title Kia Over There

Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/82k880jq

Authors Neighbors, Chris Garner, Brett

Publication Date 2014-04-01

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Synopsis of the “Kia Over There” Capstone Project

Abstract

This paper’s purpose is to describe the process and findings of the “Kia Over

There” Capstone Project jointly undertaken by Chris Neighbors and Brett Garner under the supervision of Drs. Brice Semmens and Brad Erisman respectively. The project was largely a cultural and observational exploration of Kia island’s artisanal , and it aspired to illuminate the often complex situations that involve regulating marine resources. While practical biological observations were made during this project, this paper nor this project make any independent claims regarding the biodiversity and ecological abundance of this fishery but rather relies on local witness accounts and experts that work within the area on a regular basis.

Introduction

Geography

Kia is a small island located approximately 10 miles Northwest of Labasa, Fiji.

The island sits adjacent (2 miles) to the Great Sea . The reef is the world’s 3rd largest barrier reef, and reaches depths of 50-60ft of water. The tiny body of land serves as home to approximately 250 individuals divided into 3 villages (Lingao,

Dafu, Yaro). There is no regular transportation from Kia to the mainland other than a weekly trip by a small craft transporting fish.

Fishing

The industry has a commanding hold over the Kian economy. Nearly every individual relies on fishing as a means of income. Exceptions to this are Chris Neighbors clergymen, teachers, fish distribution agents, and the lone farmer on the island.

While accounts on prices often vary, it was made clear that prices barely reward fishermen enough to earn a substantial profit; therefore, families rely heavily upon fishing day in and day out.

Fishing practices vary from family to family and constantly evolve as individuals innovate new methods. The three most popular forms of fishing were line, spear, and net fishing. Of these three, line fishing was observed most often and jointly involved the most innovation. The typical method consisted of tossing a 15-

20lbs test nylon line baited with cassava, minnows, or fish scraps. The fishermen would then slowly pull the line back in imitating small pray. Typically these tosses target small coral heads or even visible schools of fish.

One variation of this technique was known as “Pop” fishing. Similar to line fishing it too involved tossing and retrieving a baited line, but this equipment involved a much heavier 25-50 lbs test line and a lure. The lure was an 8 inch, neon colored piece of wood or plastic carved into the fusiform of small game fish. With considerably more effort, the fishermen would retrieve the lure in a jerking fashion causing it to create a staccato popping noise underwater. This typically attracted trevally and acted as a high price (effort) versus high reward strategy.

A second technique involved the boat’s motor rather than the equipment. Often individuals would deem an area fished out for the day. In order to attract any remaining fish, the driver would temporarily throw the boat into reverse and rev the engine once. The fishermen believed that some species had become accustomed to the sound of the boat pulling away and would leave their shelter if Chris Neighbors they thought the fishermen had gone. This technique was rather new but had been widely adapted.

Spear fishing took three forms as well. Both the Hawaiian sling and the band- powered spear gun were observed in use but neither produced clear advantages next to the other. Both played to their typical strengths. The spear gun used more range and power, and the sling had more mobility and ease. The most innovative spear fishing involved a sharpened iron spike that would be dropped onto sea cucumbers at great depth and then retrieved by the attached line.

Finally, net fishing was often used but relied on large joint efforts by villagers. The typical strategy was similar to purse seining. Two boats would slowly

(at idle speed) carry a net towards an area populated by fish. As the net approached the school, individuals swimming in the water would splash and scare the fish towards the net. Behind them, a man designated as the “commander” would orchestrate the entire effort. Fishermen were inquired about the potential damage to corals from net fishing, but they explained that this was rarely an issue since their goal wasn’t to drag the bottom and catch demersal fish.

The impact of these three general fishing practices seemed moderate at best but was amplified due to the community’s targeting of spawning aggregations.

Villagers and fishermen typically did not demonstrate an understanding of the possible ramifications for disturbing a spawning aggregation and more often than not relished the idea of finding one. The knowledge of where these aggregations gathered was described as, “by the weather and the wind.” We assumed they were alluding to seasonal observations. Chris Neighbors

MPA History

Assisted by the World Wildlife Fund, the Kians established an MPA for their permitted fishing area in 2007. The MPA was held for 5 years and experts reported to locals that fish populations were increasing but by what factor is still unclear. The

MPA roughly surrounds the western edge of Kia’s barrier reef and totaled 2 square kilometers. However due to traditional customs, the MPA was lifted for 2 weeks in order to provide food for a chief mandated ceremony. This type of ban lift and reestablishment is rooted in the Tabu tradition, but after the 2 week period, the

MPA remained lifted.

Most locals attribute this to the discovery of the abundance of fish caught once the MPA was lifted. This was exacerbated by the fact that neighboring communities were infringing on their allotted fishing grounds and disregarding the

MPA. This culminated into a Tragedy of the Commons scenario, and the Kians continued fishing in the previously protected area.

The only current fishing regulations in Kia is a ban on night .

Kians explained that not only was the act unfair and took the sport out of it but also severely depleted fish populations due to the defenselessness of sleeping species.

Despite this ban, individuals outside of Kia continue to ignore this regulation. The

Kians have taken issue with these outsiders and liken the act to stealing their livelihood. Due to this, violent altercations have occurred on multiple occasions.

Chris Neighbors

Current Efforts

While both the World Wildlife Fund and Widlife Conservation Society have been involved in Kia, Community Centered Conservation (C3) stands as the area’s most active and engaged NGO. Maleli Qera is the regional representative for C3 and is also the program coordinator for the Reef Rangers, a youth education program that focuses on marine conservation. The organization attempts to approach conservation from the angles and interests of the community’s culture and steers away from the often one-sided conversations that can occur between locals and regulation officials.

Additionally, the Reef Rangers effort has been recognized internationally by the United Nations Environment Programme. The group has demonstrated significant success in youth education by approaching conservation through activity and stewardship rather than classroom lecturers and technical content. While no formal study has been done to gauge the level of absorption by the youth, students were demonstrating consideration for their environment by participating in activities and later using the knowledge of those lessons later in daily life.

Conclusion

After observing Kia’s , a number of aspects have become clear. First, the Kians themselves have some small steps to take in order to make their own fishing sustainable. A small part of that would be to decrease fishing on the spawning aggregation. That is a significant hurtle to overcome due to the community’s dependence on fishing; therefore, the continued development of alternative livelihoods would prove useful too. Chris Neighbors

C3 must also continue their work in Kia. While youth education is a difficult investment to appreciate in the face of a collapsing fishery, some of these students will most likely serve as elders for the island and assist in decisions that will shape the fishery and its management. However, C3 must also refocus its communication on the current fishermen. Fishermen did not always display an understanding of fishing aggregations or the relationship between some fish species and a healthy reef system. These small lessons can deepen the local appreciation for sustainable fishing.

Finally, but most importantly, the Fijian government must find a way to increase enforcement. It too is a tall order, but a toothless MPA has proven to serve little to no purpose. Even if the Kians were to endure complying by the MPA, this would not thwart the increasing pressure on this corner of Fiji’s fisheries.