FIJI Airways’ staff, led by managing director and chief executive officer Paul Scurrah, planted 7000 mangrove seedlings and conducted a beach clean-up at Wailoaloa Beach this week, bringing the airline’s total contribution to 96,000 mangroves planted to date.
The activity forms part of Fiji Airways’ Maroroya sustainability program, which means “to care, protect, and preserve” as well as the airline’s ‘Every Take off, One Tree’ initiative, where a mangrove seedling is planted for every international flight.
“It’s a simple, hands-on way for our team to help protect Fiji’s coastlines and support our communities one flight at a time,” the airline said in a statement.
“The program also responds to the growing threat of plastic pollution in the Pacific. “According to a report from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), around eight million tons of plastic enter the ocean each year with 80per cent coming from land-based sources.
“By combining mangrove planting with beach care activities, Fiji Airways employees can contribute meaningfully to marine protection efforts.”
In partnership with the Ministry of Forestry, the airline continues to acquire and plant mangrove seedlings as part of ongoing efforts to support coastal restoration.
Mr Scurrah, who participated alongside team members in the mangrove planting and beach cleanup, highlighting the importance of hands-on action.
“Every seed we plant and every piece of plastic we remove reflects our responsibility to build a more sustainable, healthier future for Fiji and for the generations to come,” he said.
“We’re on a journey to embed sustainability more meaningfully into our work, and actions like today reflect that direction.
“I’m personally committed to this work, and I’m inspired by our team, who volunteer their time and energy to take meaningful action, protecting our communities, our environment, and the future of our children.”
Mangroves serve as nurseries for fish and other marine life, trap sediments and pollutants, protect coastlines from erosion and rising seas, and capture carbon more efficiently than most terrestrial ecosystems.
