08th July 2016 People that live in the coastline of Fanga’uta Lagoon have raised concerns due to the ongoing effects of human actions in the Lagoon.
Tonga Ridge to Reef Project (R2R) Manager Ms Ta’hirih Hokafonu said they have noted the concerns during R2R’s outreach programs.
“Some of the concerns raised include the need to enforce the law to restrict illegal dumping of wastes and pollution to the lagoon, unsustainable reclamation activities to be reconsidered due to its effect on the homes along the coastline and the depletion of marine species from the lagoon affecting livelihoods,” she said.
In partnership with UNDP and financed by Global Environment Facility (GEF) the implementation of the R2R under the Department Environment focus on the Integrated Environmental Management Plan of Fanga’uta Lagoon Catchment Area.
The project aims to enhance Tonga’s ecosystem services through an integrated approach (land, water and coastal management) in managing the environment of Fanga’uta Lagoon Catchment area.
Hokafonu said the benefit of implementing this project includes poverty reduction, sustaining livelihoods and enhancing climate resilience.
R2R is now addressing five areas of project’s interventions which are;
- Tree planting at coastal areas to sustain coastal vegetation of about 50 hectares.
- Mangroves rehabilitation programs to sustain about 80 hectares of coastal areas.
- Promote eco-tourism at community level so that in turn provide sustainable livelihoods for locals
- Promote fisheries conversation in villages named by the locals as protected area in order to increase available marine resources to sustain people’s livelihood
- Better waste management at the local level in order to decrease input of pollutants to the environment
With regards to waste management efforts Hokafonu stated that through the project they are working with 26 villages surrounding Fanga’uta Lagoon.
“Last year we consulted with all 26 villages and had identified their critical needs, one of which is the issue of waste and pollution. All villages have been engaged in the initial waste clean-up campaign through collaborations with Waste Authority, Internal Affairs and the Environment Department she said in 2015.”
“We had collected 47.2 tonnes of waste from these villages and delivered to Tapuhia Landfill and 160 tonnes to the GIO Recycling. That is only waste on land not yet including waste at the coastal side of the lagoon, as observed people have used the mangroves areas and some of the coast line as areas to illegally dump their waste at.”
“We are planning to continue the clean-up campaign focusing inside the lagoon and the coastline at the surrounding villages. Naturally if the environment is kept clean it should naturally bounce back in abundance as it is no longer suffocating from the waste overtake.”
With regards to the Tree planting intervention Hokafonu stated that the first phase of this activity has been completed and is now looking into the second phase of agro forestry for these same villages focusing on individual landowners who have offered to be part of this intervention and this will be monitored closely by the Environment and Forestry Department.
“The whole idea of phase 1 and 2 is to conserve the native plants of Fanga’uta lagoon allowing the normal growth of natural biodiversity. Therefore, natural vegetation for the intervention is highly considered including mangroves and its associates, varied coastal vegetation and timber trees on agro- forestry. Other project such as the Invasive Alien Species of the Environment Department supports this effort at the Lagoon Catchment of Fanga’uta through the preservation of Toloa Rainforest, adding value to the efforts of the Ridge to Reef Project.
Due to land issues and no community land available, individual land owners have been approach through the assistance of the Town Officers to participate in the tree planting intervention, and this will be closely monitored during the project life time as well as by the Forestry and Environment Department.
With regards to intervention on sustainable management of fisheries Hokafonu had stated that about 20% of the lagoon has been delineated for this purpose as a results of last year consultations. Fisheries Department and the Environment Department is taking the lead in pursuing establishment of Special Management Areas for 4 villages surrounding Fanga’uta Lagoon.
“This is the first time to have SMA pursued inside Fanga’uta Lagoon, as it is normally practised in outer islands and not in such a setting as this. The whole idea behind this intervention is to increase the abundance of marine species available to the people who heavily depend on these marine resources daily. As observed from the Creel Survey carried out last year, the fish caught are mainly undersize and lesser in number.”
The purpose of these Special Management Areas, is for community to actively manage their marine environment and identify area of refuge to increase number of fish in their area and to sustainable fish in available portion of the sea to them. Draft Management Plan for these 4 villages is currently pursued on the 3rd phase of consulting with neighbouring villages. The hope is that the example set by the 4 villages will have domino effect on the other villages where greater percentage of the lagoon is properly managed and cared for by the people, where it will turn sustain their livelihoods.”
The project is looking into trialling complete make over inclusive of all interventions at Vaini Water Spring, Vai ko Felefonu with additional villages from Fanga’uta Lagoon on the pipeline for the complete make over, whilst at the same time individual intervention is applied at 16 villages with efforts to complete soon.
The R2R originally started towards end of 2014 and is expected to be completed in December, 2017.
The lagoon has been declared as a marine protected area by the law. Fanga’uta Lagoon Catchment area covers about 26 villages surrounding the lagoon. About 50,000 residents lives in these villages and there are approximately 10,000 households which is approximately 55% of the total population of people residing in the main land Tongatapu.
