Getting young people to participate in conservation efforts go a long way in the protection of Fiji’s environment.
Students of Ballantine Memorial School (BMS) and Veikoso Primary School were part of a mangrove tree planting exercise at Matainoco in Tailevu last month.
The students with Navy personnel from the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force, the United States Navy, the New Zealand Navy, the Japan Ground Self-Defence Force, Republic of Fiji Navy and villagers planted 4000 mangrove seedlings at the Matainoco riverbank.
According to a Ministry of Forestry statement the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force Ship Shimokita had called into port in Suva as part of the Indo-Pacific Deployment 2023.
The Japanese chief of joint staff, General Yoshihide Yoshida led the planting exercise.
The students of BMS sang a song of welcome for the guests while the villagers welcomed them with a traditional ceremony.
“Just listening to the angelic voices of these children made me so emotional and I couldn’t stop my tears from flowing,” General Yoshida said.
“This memory will not be forgotten. Apart from planting mangroves to protect the local villages, we will not forget the kind gesture by the villagers.”
General Yoshida said the Japanese people understood the hardships brought on by climate change in Fiji and surrounding Pacific island nations.
“We all face similar security issues as a result of climate change, so one way we can help reduce the risks is by participating in planting activities.”
He said the planting of mangrove seedlings would contribute to the protection of the village coastline from erosion and extreme weather.
The Ministry highlighted that a similar planting activity was held in Suva last year, where the personnel engaged in a joint community service activity with the Fijian Navy by cleaning up the Nasese foreshore and planting 15,000 mangrove seedlings.
General Yoshida said they hoped to continue this engagement in the coming years.
“We will continue to strengthen our co-operation between the two countries and especially through cultural exchanges with the local communities that we visit,” he said.
The Ministry of Forestry had co-ordinated the planting activity as part of Fiji’s landscape restoration program with communities.
The mangrove seedlings, worth $8000, were purchased from the Matainoco Women’s Club.
Fisheries and Forestry permanent secretary, Atelaite Rokosuka, welcomed partnerships and initiatives that contribute to environmental sustainability and the health of coastal ecosystems.
Mrs Rokosuka thanked the government of Japan for its ongoing co-operation in projects like planting mangroves, which improves the protection of coastlines from erosion, capture carbon dioxide, and serve as habitat for a variety of species.
She said by including the students from BMS and the Veikoso Primary School in the activity not only gets them involved in a fun activity, but also teaches them the value of planting mangroves to protect people from natural disasters because mangroves act as natural barriers.
