Conservation International Fiji

30/10/2026

Hope Highlights | Indigenous Leadership at the Heart of Conversation.

An article on Islands Business highlighting a message that resonates strongly across the Pacific: lasting ocean conservation must be led by the people who have cared for these places for generations.

Across our region, Indigenous peoples and local communities are not only beneficiaries of conservation efforts, they are knowledge holders, stewards and leaders. Their deep connections to the ocean, lands and natural resources continue to guide sustainable practices that have supported Pacific communities for centuries.

At Conservation International Fiji, we see the value of this leadership every day through our work alongside communities. The most enduring conservation outcomes are built on trust, respect, traditional knowledge and genuine partnership.

As we collectively work towards protecting our oceans and strengthening climate resilience, it is important that Indigenous voices, customary governance systems and community priorities remain at the centre of decision-making.

The Pacific has much to teach the world about caring for nature. When communities lead, conservation thrives.

🔗 Read the full article:

https://islandsbusiness.com/news-break/pacific-leaders-say-ocean-protection-must-put-indigenous-authority-first/

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PACIFIC conservation efforts will fail to endure unless Indigenous communities help decide how ocean projects are designed, governed and...

30/10/2026

Pinktober at 375 Waimanu Road 💗

This week to round off the month, our Fiji based team at 375 Waimanu Road, joined millions around the world in marking Pinktober and raising awareness for breast cancer.

As an organisation that works alongside communities across Fiji to protect nature and improve livelihoods, we understand that healthy communities depend on healthy people. Conservation is ultimately about people as much as it is about landscapes, oceans, and biodiversity. When communities are strong, supported, and resilient, they are better able to care for the natural resources that sustain us all.

This Pinktober, we stand with survivors, those currently undergoing treatment, their families, and those remembering loved ones lost to cancer. We recognise the courage it takes to face this journey and the importance of support from family, friends, workplaces, and communities.

Our Pinktober event reminded us that hope can be found in many places, in early detection, in access to care, in the strength of survivors, and in communities coming together to support one another.

For us, our mantra and message is simple and powerful: Hope is Here to Stay. It is present in the work we do with communities across Fiji, in the resilience of our people, and in our collective commitment to building a healthier and more sustainable future.

Vinaka vakalevu to everyone who participated and wore pink today. Together, we celebrate hope, resilience, and the strength of community.

💗 Hope is here to stay in Fiji.

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30/10/2026

Stakeholders Strengthen Human and Labour Rights in Fiji's Tuna Industry

Suva, Fiji– Conservation International (CI), independent consultant Tulika Bansal, and the Pacific Community (SPC) recently convened a two-and-a-half-day workshop in Suva aimed at increasing stakeholder understanding of labour and human rights risks within Fiji's tuna industry.

The workshop brought together representatives from government, industry, unions, civil society and the fishing sector to explore practical human rights challenges and identify pathways for improvement. Participants engaged in scenario-based exercises, visited port operations, fishing vessels and processing facilities, and collaboratively developed a roadmap to strengthen labour and human rights practices across the industry.

CI Sustainable Fisheries Manager Vilisoni Tarabe, acknowledged the support of the Walmart Foundation and highlighted the significance of the five-year agreement between Conservation International and the Fiji Fishing Industry Association under the Jurisdictional Initiative for Pacific Tuna Project.

“The partnership focuses on improving the social, environmental and economic performance of Fiji’s tuna fishing industry, with this workshop supporting its social improvement priorities,” said Vilisoni.

He added that the workshop provided an opportunity for participants to move beyond theory and engage with real-world challenges.

“Over two days, we moved from theory to practice: exploring the key human and labour rights challenges in the tuna industry through participatory exercises and real-life scenarios, observing port operations, fishing vessels and processing facilities to see realities first-hand, and jointly developing a roadmap for strengthening human and labour rights in Fiji’s tuna industry,” he said.

Human Rights and Business Expert and Lead Facilitator Tulika Bansal, said the workshop demonstrated the value of collaborative learning It was very encouraging to see stakeholders learn from one another, recognise their shared responsibilities and identify concrete steps forward,” said Bansal.

“The real measure of success will be how these conversations and commitments translate into meaningful improvements for the people working across Fiji’s tuna industry.”

Meanwhile, Natalie Makhoul, SPC’s Gender and Human Rights Specialist within the Fisheries, Aquaculture and Marine Ecosystems Division, emphasised the importance of inclusive stakeholder engagement.

“Bringing together government, fishers’ voices, industry, unions and civil society showed the value of genuine stakeholder engagement in addressing human rights in Fiji’s tuna fishery,” said Makhoul.

She stressed that policy reforms must be accompanied by concrete action on the ground.

“Laws and policies matter, but they must be matched by concrete action and a stronger people-centred lens that protects the rights and dignity of fishers and fish workers,” she said.

“These are the people on the frontline every day, supporting their families and communities while helping to bring nutritious seafood into Fiji’s food system and global markets.”

The workshop forms part of ongoing efforts to promote responsible and sustainable tuna fisheries in Fiji, with stakeholders committed to advancing human and labour rights standards throughout the sector.

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21/10/2026

Sharing updates form the Global Citizens NOW in Perth Australia. Conservation International was thrilled to lead the conversation on “ The Value of Nature: Protecting Places, Building Prosperity”.

CI Pacific invited Ratu Tevita Lutunauga Kapaiwai Ulilakeba Mara, as the Lau Paramount Chief and Deputy Chair of Fiji’s Great Council of Chiefs, to be a speaker on the panel.

Below is an excerpt from his address and comments during the panel discussion.

“We do not see conservation and development as opposing choices. Rather, we see them as partners in building resilient communities and a healthy environment.

Customary and traditional leaders have a central role in the success of these initiatives. Their leadership and voice is the true north to which their communities and peoples will rally.

Initiatives such as the Lau Seascape Impact Facility, established in partnership with the Fiji Development Bank, where we are exploring new models of nature finance that empower local entrepreneurs and community enterprises.

By supporting businesses that generate both economic and environmental value, we aim to demonstrate that investment in nature can also be an investment in people, livelihoods, and cultural continuity.”

19/10/2026

20 hectares closer to healthier coastlines! 🌱

We have hit a significant milestone for the Kiwa RESTORE Project! 🎯

We’ve reached our 20-hectare target of mangrove restoration, using a combination of active planting and assisted natural regeneration (ANR) to support mangrove recovery and healthier coastlines.

But restoration doesn't stop here. We’ll continue to monitor the survival and growth of the mangroves as they establish.

Here’s to growing a greener, more resilient future! 💚

Kiwa RESTORE is supported by Kiwa Initiative, and implemented by Conservation International across Fiji, Samoa and Timor-Leste.

AFD - Agence Française de Développement - Canada’s International Development – Global Affairs Canada - European Union in the Pacific - Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade - New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade - Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme - SPREP - Pacific-Community-SPC - IUCN Oceania

15/10/2026

Leadership Announcement | Conservation International Pacific

We are delighted to share that Mere Lakeba has been appointed Chief Field Officer for the Pacific, effective 15 October, 2026.

A respected conservation leader and champion for Pacific priorities, Mere brings more than two decades of experience in natural resource management, partnership building, and advancing conservation outcomes across our region. Her leadership has contributed to significant conservation achievements, including efforts that support the sustainable stewardship of our Pa cific Ocean.

In her new role, Mere will lead Conservation International's work across the Pacific, helping strengthen collaboration and impact across the region while advancing a shared vision for people and nature.

This appointment reflects CI’s ongoing commitment to Pacific leadership and locally led solutions. We look forward to continuing our partnerships with governments, communities, Indigenous Peoples, regional organisations, civil society, development partners, and the private sector to create a more resilient and sustainable future for the Pacific.

Please join us in congratulating Mere on this well-deserved appointment.

09/10/2026

Conservation International congratulates Fiji on its 56th anniversary of independence.

Throughout the last 21 years of it, we have been a trusted partner in the protection and preservation of our heritage and natural resources.

We remain committed to Fijian communities that inspire our work and lead the charge. At the start, a small voice in the wilderness that became a concerted call to action, now leading the war cry in the Pacific and the world.

Fiji is the Isles of Smiles. We have an intrinsic claim to Happiness, it’s not billboard aura or a performance, it is genuine and natural. We thrive in community and laughter. This is the strength that drives the heart of our conservation consciousness. We understand that our natural environment coexists with the fabric of our identity, who we are in the world.

That is our heritage, built into our claim as an island nation, in the middle of the vast Pacific, beset by cold winds and warm waves, shining under sun and light of the moon. Our beloved island nation, our home.

“Ciri koto e loma ni wasa liwa
Ceguvi iko na veibiau liliwa
Rama ni siga, kei na cila ni vula
Vanua domoni, vanua ni bula”

The future is bright because our will is strong. Our hope for the future is built on resilience, because in the diversity of who we are, we are united under the noble banner blue.

HOPE is here to stay. Happy Fiji Day.

- Video Caption: Our Field Team in Ra, sending their best wishes for your Fiji Day celebrations.

- Song Ciri Koto is an excerpt from the Fijian classic written by Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara and composed by Dr. Inoke Baravilala.

09/10/2026

Empowering Fishers in the Fiji Tuna Longline Industry.

Earlier this month on the 1st and 2nd of October, Conservation International Fiji, in partnership with Traseable Solutions Pte Ltd, delivered a “Know Your Rights” training for local Fijian fishers at the Bainimarama Seafarers Centre in Walu Bay.

The training benefited from the active
participation and expert contributions of the Fiji Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination
Commission, Ministry of Employment, Productivity and Workplace Relations, Ministry
of Fisheries, Pacific Community, and the Fiji Maritime Union.

The training equipped 28 experienced fishers with practical knowledge on human
rights, labour rights, workplace safety, fair employment conditions, grievance
mechanisms, and support services available to fishers. Through interactive discussions
and group activities, participants strengthened their understanding of how to
recognise, prevent, and respond to rights violations both at sea and on land.

Project Manager Vilisoni Tarabe highlighted that the initiative is supported through a Walmart Foundation-funded project and reinforces CI's ongoing commitment, in partnership with the Fiji Fishing Industry Association, to improve social responsibility and protect the rights and well-being of fishers across Fiji's tuna fishing industry.

Speaking during the training, Shaunalee Katafono of Traseable Solutions emphasised
the importance of rights awareness, noting that understanding one's rights is the first
step towards preventing exploitation, promoting safe and fair working conditions, and ensuring fishers know where to seek help when rights violations occur.

Reflections from participants highlighted that the training broadened the knowledge on rights of fishers in the workplace. The training also clearly outlined the grievance process and mechanisms in place to protect workers.

By empowering fishers as rights holders and peer educators, we are helping to build
a safer, fairer, and more responsible fisheries sector for all.

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07/10/2026

Pacific leaders, Indigenous and customary leaders, governments, development partners and conservation practitioners have come together at the Pacific Pre-COP31 in Fiji to call for climate, biodiversity and ocean finance to better recognize Indigenous leadership, customary governance and community priorities.

Convened by Conservation International in partnership with the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO UK), the Indigenous Leadership in Blue Pacific Finance event brought together Pacific leaders, Indigenous representatives, youth and finance experts to explore how conservation finance can move beyond short-term projects towards approaches that are long-term, flexible and locally led.

The discussion featured Filimone Waqabaca, CEO of Fiji Development Bank; Taholo Kami, Principal Partner at Kami Pacific; Ratu Sakiusa B. Taukena, Chief of Saivou District, Ra Province; Dr Winifereti Nainoca, Rewa Provincial Development Committee; and Alumita Talei SEKINAIRAI, Indigenous Youth Conservation Leader.

Keynote speakers included First Nations Ambassador Justin Mohamed and Steph Lysaght, Acting British High Commissioner.

For climate finance to deliver lasting outcomes for people and nature, Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities need to be at the center of how investment is designed, governed and accessed. This includes recognising customary governance systems, strengthening local capacity and ensuring communities can access finance on terms that reflect their priorities and realities.

The discussion brought Pacific perspectives and Indigenous leadership into the wider climate and conservation finance conversation ahead of COP31, highlighting the role of locally led approaches in delivering lasting outcomes for people and nature across the region.

Learn more: https://lnkd.in/ehXZERrQ

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