Marine Atlas: Maximizing Benefits for Fiji

CONCLUSION Fiji’s vast ocean has billions of dollars’ worth of marine value. To successfully conserve and manage these values, the island nation is strongly committed to holistic planning and effective management of its ocean.

Fiji’s national vision for these efforts is:

information to this atlas and identified its utility to policy and decision-making (see list of data providers listed in the References). In particular we thank the Department of the Environment of the Ministry of Local Government, Housing and Environment, the Fisheries Depart- ment of the Ministry of Fisheries and Forests, the Fiji Bureau of Statistics and other relevant ministries for providing the project with data and support. We are grateful for the contributions of text and graphical elements from the Ocean Atlas 2017 of the Heinrich Böll Foundation to this atlas.

Avril, Jasha Dehm, Marian Gauna, Jimaima Le Grand Thomas Malone, Anja Nicolay-Grosse Hokamp, Jan Steffen, Jonah Sullivan, Naushad Yakub for their support, as well as the GRID-Aren- dal team: Kaja Lønne Fjærtoft, Georgios Fylakis, Elsa Lindeval, Petter Sevaldsen and Janet Fernan- dez Skaalvik. While the atlas provides the best data currently publicly available, the information about Fiji’s wa- ters is constantly increasing. In this way, the atlas is an open invitation to use, modify, combine and update the maps and underlying data. The e-copy and interactive version of the Fiji Ma- rine Atlas are available here: http://macbio- pacific.info/marine-atlas

“A comprehensive, ecologically representative network of MPAs that restores and sustains the health, productivity, resilience, biological diversity and ecosystem services of coastal and marine systems, and promotes the quality of life for our communities that depend on them.” Fiji is initiating a participatory, national MSP pro- cess to implement their national network of MPAs. Stakeholders across Fiji are working together to build this MPA network in order to secure a healthy, productive, resilient and biodiverse ocean for all. We thank everyone who participated in meetings regarding this atlas and who, through their involve- ment, contributed input, guidance, data and/or

We also thank the professionals of the MACBIO team, in alphabetical order, Riibeta Abeta, Mia

Timeline of the Fiji Marine Spatial Planning process

Around 130 spatial data sets on uses, biodiversity, environmental conditions and risks were collated and made available. 2014–2018

2020 The Government of Fiji will publish a final map of the country’s MPAs for gazettal (government process).

2019 The first and second rounds of national public consultations will be held to review candidate MPA sites, including candidate sites for the national MPA network (government process).

2018 Fiji issued a policy brief on sustainable financing for MPAs and drafted placement guidelines for MPAs and zones. A final version of the MPA typology was published, as was a report on the country’s SUMAs. The ocean- wide description of marine environments was also published.

2017 At the United Nations Ocean Conference, Fiji announced 17 Voluntary Commitments for protecting and sustainably managing its marine resources.

2014 Fiji committed to

2015 Various advisory groups comprising technical experts from NGOs and government ministries drafted Fiji’s MPA typology.

2016 Fiji defined its vision and objectives for its commitment to include at least 30 per cent of its waters as part of a network of MPAs. Following this, Fiji published its National Marine Ecosystem Valuation report and an analysis of the legal basis for MPAs. Fiji identified SUMAs with biophysical importance and drafted and ocean- wide description of marine environments (bioregions).

protecting 30 per cent of its seas as marine managed areas or MPAs by 2020.

MAXIMIZING BENEFITS FOR FIJI • MARINE ATLAS

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