WHILE there has been a traditional ban on the fishing of one species of kawakawa in the customary fishing grounds of Macuata, this is the first seasonal ban implemented by the Ministry of Fisheries on all species of grouper and coral trout.
A statement from the World Wildlife Fund Pacific (WWF Pacific) said this was subject to extensive research undertaken by the Fiji Ministry of Fisheries and key researchers that determined that this species of fish were over-fished and were highly susceptible to being over-exploited during their spawning & breeding season.
“This was a serious concern for the Ministry which resulted in the enforcement of the Grouper and Coral Trout Ban,” the statement said.
