On the island of Gau there are claims of ownership of the seabird the Fiji petrel — known locally as the kacau ni Gau.
Legends of the past shared of how the kacau came to be.
Burotukula
Apart from the kacau, there are also stories linking Gau to the mysterious island of Burotukula.
Reverend Joseph Waterhouse in his book published in 1866 The King and People of Fiji stated: “Burotu is a paradise world full of beautiful things, proverbial for complete happiness: ‘I am in Burotu’ means I am thoroughly contented’.”
It is no wonder Johnston St in his book The Lau Islands (Fiji) and Their Fairy Tales and Folk-lore wrote “the tale of the island Burotu ran north to Bau, and so inflamed that adventurous spirit Ratu Mara that, like a knight-errant of old, he started forth and swore that he would find Burotu or perish in the attempt. As a matter of fact he did neither, but the story at all events shows how earnestly he believed in it”.
There are many myths towards the disappearance of the island that up to today is still sought after.
According to one, recorded by linguist and historian Dr Paul Geraghty in Volume 102 of The Journal of the Polynesian Society, Kubunavanua one of the sons of Lutunasobasoba, had returned from Tonga and resided at Burotukula. One of Kubunavanua’s sons ravouvou ni (prince of) Burokula was known as Tuivanuakula (chief of the red and golden land). Dr Geraghty said in a conversation with the late Roko Sau (high chief of Totoya) when Kubunavanua departed the island (Burotukula) disappeared.
There is another legend told by 60-year-old Leanatasi Waqasaqa of the mataqali (landowning unit) Naveivorati the traditional warrior (bati) to the chief the Turaga na Takala from Vadravadra Village on Gau.
According to Mr Waqasaqa, Senijale the ravouvou ni (prince of) Muaigau was out on an expedition sailing into Lau waters when he fell asleep. Upon waking up the prince saw that he hand landed on a white and golden sandy beach. According to Mr Waqasaqa a young woman saw him and handed the young prince a senijale (gardenia) which is known to be one of the sweetest smelling flower in the country. It became the name by which the young prince is known on to this day — Senijale.
The young woman with an angelic voice, fascinating beauty, captivating figure and dazzling features captured the young prince’s attention and they began to court. After a while, the young woman agreed to marry the prince.
“So the prince told his sweetheart that he would return to his island to bring his parents and traditionally propose and ask for her hand in marriage.
“However according to the legend, women on the island of Burotukula were not allowed to get married and when their leader found out what had transpired she submerged the island,” he said.
There is reason to believe that the leader did not want any of the beauty from the island to be taken thus everything was under water.
Mr Waqasaqa said when the prince had returned to Muaigau, he had brought with him sand and soil from the island of Burotukula. Included in what he brought was the kacau, the Fiji petrel (Pseudobulweria macgillivrayi).
Mr Waqasaqa said when Senijale was reurning home, the prince fell asleep and was only awoken when his canoe struck a coral reef and everything went overboard.
Today, a few minutes away from Vadravadra is a reef called Cakausomo. (Somo in some iTaukei dialects also means qele or soil.) At this section of the reef is the same soil that is found on dry land. This is the soil from Burotukula.
Mr Waqasaqa said the sand that went overboard today make up what is known as the Nukukatudrau — the longest white and golden sandy beach on the island which stretches to about 10km.
Back to the kacau
“Many today on Gau claim to be the traditional owners of the kacau, we have been told that it was brought by our one of our ancestors. It appears once in a while,” Mr Waqasaqa said.
Vadravadra villagers said the bird was seen during the funeral of one chief.
In another account, village elders of Navukailagi say the bird was the Tui Delaigau’s (warlord) pet.
Other parts of the island claim ownership of the bird but this article is not about the ownership of the bird that is endemic to the island, it is about the importance of protecting s species synonymous with the island’s identity.
Pride of Gau
According to Dr Dick Watling of Environment Consultants Fiji, a corporate sponsor of the non-government organisation NatureFiji-MareqetiViti, that looks into research of the Fiji petrel, there are over 30 species of petrel in the world.
Dr Watling said the bird spent most of its life way out at sea and only returned to land to breed.
The bird, was which was first sighted and recorded in 1855, was not seen again until 1984.
Below are NatureFiji-MareqetiVit’s responses to queries about the kacau.
What is special about the kacau?
It is the only seabird in the world where the actual breeding colony/site remains unknown.
It is Fiji’s only endemic seabird (found nowhere else in the world — found breeding nowhere else in the world, because when not breeding it is pelagic and may spend smuch of the year, many thousands of kilometres away from Fiji, well outside Fiji territorial waters).
History behind the kacau
From 1983 to 1984 during widespread consultations in most of the villages on Gau, nobody could provide information on bird’s nesting in holes in the ground up in the forests, arriving in the dark and leaving before sunset. However, several individuals related incidents of their dogs digging burrows and finding birds eggs.
Nonetheless, they were aware of the kacau through a widely sung lullaby telling of the kacau flying to the reef to feed on octopus.
In fact they would fly to open ocean and feed on squid and bring these back to feed their chicks in the nest. Squid are an important food item for many petrels and collared petrels feed on them and bring them back to the island to feed their young.
Who are the traditional owners?
There are no traditional owners of the kacau ni Gau. Firstly because we do not know where on Gau the kacau ni Gau nests, and secondly rivalry between communities on the presumed nesting grounds of the kacau ni Gau has been a recurring problem for the Fiji Petrel Project since its inception.
Delaisavu is where the largest reported colony of the collared petrel in the world is but there could be similar sized colonies in Kadavu or in Vanuatu where it also occurs. The traditional owners of the area have been undertaking conservation work at this colony for the past three years, following its discovery on their land by the Fiji Petrel Project.
Where on Gau is it found?
No one knows but confirmed kacau ni Gau landings are only known from four villages — Levuka-i-Gau, Nukuloa, Nawaikama and Sawaieke.
There have been 18 confirmed records of the Fiji petrel landings on Gau since 1980. There have been no confirmed or even credibly reported landings from any other island or location in Fiji. Hence we are confident it nests somewhere on Gau and nowhere else in Fiji or the world.
We know it breeds on Gau because we have one confirmed fledgling (just left the nest for the first time) and one probable fledgling in those 18 confirmed records.
How many species are there?
In addition to the Fiji petrel and the collared petrel which we know nests on Gau, the Tahiti petrel has been found on Gau but no evidence of breeding (largest colony in Fiji is on Taveuni) and also wedge tailed shearwaters (similar to a petrel) have been found and probably nest on Gau
Is deforestation a problem?
Yes, it absolutely is. There is an abundance of deforested land on Gau which can be farmed. The remaining forest on Gau is essential to maintain hydrological resilience (water catchment) to supply the lowland areas, especially in the uncertain times ahead with climate change beginning to change traditional climate patterns
In light of this, how do you
plan to preserve this species?
NatureFiji-MareqetiViti works with other community groups to highlight the importance of Fiji’s biodiversity and on Gau, the island’s terrestrial biodiversity but we are not a community development organisation. There are plenty of those around the country.
Nonetheless we understand that biodiversity conservation is not possible without landowner and community support but we do not buy it with promises of enhanced livelihoods and short-term projects etc. With the funding we are able to raise, we work to increase communities own awareness of their biodiversity and the responsibilities of environmental stewardship and self-motivation and sufficiency.
What projects are
intended for Gau?
We are working only on the Fiji Petrel Project which works with the communities of Levuka-i-Gau, Nukuloa, Nawaikama, Sawieke and Navukailagi on the Fiji petrel and collared petrel.
At the moment our wildlife detector dogs (originally two but Bob died last December) trained in NZ to detect petrel nests have found over 100 nesting burrows and communities assist in monitoring these and in controlling rats, feral cats and pigs — the predators of nesting petrels.
Gau’s native forest is of significant biodiversity interest with several endemic species in addition to its hydrological significance.
We have run awareness courses and events at the Gau Secondary School to stimulate support among the next generation for wise stewardship of the island’s natural resources
Who funds these projects
and what is the cost?
All funding is from offshore. We have raised over $0.5 m over the past 10 years for the Fiji Petrel Project
Do you engage
landowners on the ground?
All our work on Gau is undertaken by landowners trained by our staff and the project is run on the island entirely by Gau islanders from the communities where we work.
Can this be an
income-generating project?
We avoid being a “well-funded” project bringing in lots of money for a few showcase projects. We work diligently with communities on the practical requirements of the project.
All the work being undertaken by communities on the conservation of collared petrels at Delaisavu and other sites will be put to good use when we do find the nests of the Fiji petrel.
Until that time there is no real conservation being undertaken for this species. When we find a nest, we know what to do and we will have plenty of trained personnel on the island who can undertake it. All staff working on the project are paid and over the years NFMV has been a very consistent source of funds for several community groups
How vital is the kacau to women,
children and the future
generation of Gau?
That is for yourself and other Fijians to think about and decide. Is the loss of Fiji’s only endemic seabird, one of the rarest birds in the world, important?
You answer that!!
