Natewa National Park
Opportunities for Effective Nature Conservation & Sustainable Economic Development
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Natewa Bay (in background): 80km long x 15km wide - the largest bay in the South Pacific with a surface area of over 1,000 square km (10 times the size of Manhattan Island)
USP Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data Wragg, Graham. Natewa National Park : opportunities for effective nature conservation and sustainable economic development / Graham Wragg, Ray Pierce, Dick Watling. -- [Savusavu], Fiji : Nambu Conservation Trust, 2015. 36 p. ; 30 cm. ISBN 978-982-98108-4-7 1. National Parks and Reserves--Fiji--Savusavu. 2. Natewa National Park (Fiji). 3. Nature conservation--Fiji--Savusavu. 4. Sustainable development--Fiji--Savusavu. 5. Economic development--Environmental aspects--Fiji--Savusavu. I. Pierce, Ray. II. Watling, Dick. III. Title. SB484.F5W73 2015 333.78316099611--dc23
© 2015 Nambu Conservation Trust - All rights reserved Text from this report many be reproduced for scientific, educational or research purposes if the source document is properly acknowledged. Photos are protected by copyright. For orders: Contact the Nambu Conservation Trust, PO Box 34, Natewa Village, Vanua Levu, Fiji. Email:
[email protected] Website: www.natewapark.org
Cover Photo: Waterfall at Natewa National Park © Graham Wragg
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Natewa National Park Opportunities for Effective Nature Conservation & Sustainable Economic Development
Report prepared by: Dr Graham Wragg (Nambu Conservation Trust) Dr Ray Pierce (Eco Oceania Pty Ltd) Dr Dick Watling (Environmental Consultants (Fiji) Ltd) March 2015 Nambu Conservation Trust PO Box 34 Natewa Village Vanua Levu Fiji
[email protected]
Eco-Oceania Pty Ltd 165 Stoney Creek Rd Speewah Queensland 4881 Australia
[email protected]
Environmental Consultants (Fiji) Ltd 259 Prince’s Rd Tamavua Suva Fiji
[email protected]
The writing and production of this report was undertaken with financial assistance from the ‘Community Development and Knowledge Management for the Satoyama Initiative’ (COMDEKS) fund, which is managed by the UNDP, Suva, Fiji.
Cover Photo: Waterfall on the Nabu Stream: Natewa National Park © Graham Wragg
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Dedicated to Ratu Epeli Vakalalabure (1880 – 1970) Ratu Tevita Vakalalabure (1927 – 2005)
Paramount Chiefs of Natewa who protected their family land at Nabu as a haven for flora and fauna. And who were leaders in the social and economic developments of their people Vina’a va’alevu
Natewa dragonfly: A rare red & green variant of Agrionoptera insignis © Richard Seaman (www.richard-seaman.com)
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CONTENTS FOREWORD: Ratu Rakuita Saurara Teariki Vakalalabure
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
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CHAPTERS One
Introduction
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Two
Landscape, Biodiversity & Cultural Values
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Three Nambu Conservation Trust and Natewa National Park
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Four
Extensions to Park Boundaries
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Five
Sustainable Economic Development
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Six
Threats to Biodiversity
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Seven Conclusions and Recommendations ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
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APPENDICES 1
List of Natewa & Tunuloa Forest Birds
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Glossary of Technical Terms
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Ancient pottery jar (9cm dia.) From the ‘Old Natewa’ (ring-ditch-fort) archaeological site © Graham Wragg
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FOREWORD
At the heart of our plans for Natewa National Park is a happy marriage between ‘nature conservation’ and ‘economic development’. This delicate balance is the primary challenge of our generation, simply because we do not own the land, but we borrow it from our children. Their judgement on our efforts will be the acid test of our success as custodians of our family land. Our vision is to build a win-win situation for all concerned, especially the plants and animals that I grew up with, and these are still very much a part of ‘Who I am’ as a modern Fijian. I challenge other landowning Mataqali to actively manage their land in a sustainable way for the benefit of both the generations of today and tomorrow. I hereby invite all interested parties, whether individual, company, NGO or government, to be part of this new and exciting venture in ecotourism development. A positive partnership of this kind is our future.
Ratu Rakuita Saurara Teariki Vakalalabure LLB (Bond Univ) PDLP (ANU) LLM (Univ of London) Manager of Foreign Investment & Compliance, Business Trade and Investment Board, Rarotonga, Cook Islands.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This document describes the biodiversity and cultural values of Natewa National Park and the surrounding district. Also, it entails the economic development opportunities that the existence of the Park offers to individual people, families, and villagers in the Natewa District and beyond. The biodiversity values of the Park include extensive tropical forests on steep hills, remote mountain plateaus, coastal headlands, and many clear-water streams. All of these habitats support a wide range of flora and fauna, including many rare and threatened species of plants. Included are some of the largest native Fijian timber trees still in existence and insects of many sorts, snails, fish, frogs, snakes, lizards, bats and birds. This biodiversity is threatened by habitat loss and ongoing habitat degradation, stemming from human induced changes, including the impacts of invasive weeds and pest animals. Threats also include the activities associated with recent economic development, such as the unsustainable forest clearing due to the cultivation of kava and dryland taro. The Park has a wealth of archaeological sites, including Fijian style earthen ware pottery in abundance, some dating back over 2000 years. The Natewa National Park is managed by the Nambu Conservation Trust (NCT), a not-forprofit conservation trust set up in 2013 by the Mataqali Valenisau, initiated by the Vakalalabure family whose ikanakana they have gifted for the Park. There is a need to identify more sources of technical support and funding for sustaining the conservation management impetus that has begun with the restoration of ancient taro terraces in early 2015. Opportunities should be taken to expand pest, plant and animal control across all key ecosystems, together with more targeted management aimed at recovering key threatened species. This document recognises the opportunities for Natewa National Park to expand its boundaries in the near future. The Park is working with the iTLB to develop a land lease that would allow high quality conservation management in partnership with landowners running businesses on their own land in a sustainable and smart way with oversight by the NCT. Building infrastructure needed for the sustainable development of the Park, such as a visitor centre and boat ramp/wharf, will add to its ability to contribute to an enriched biodiversity on a region-wide scale. Also, it will foster economic and social development opportunities, both on land and at sea in Natewa and beyond.
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Landowners meeting at Natewa National Park. Ratu Rupeni Vakalalabure (landowner and trustee) on left, with Adi Ulamila Vakalalabure (landowner and technical advisor) on right. © Graham Wragg
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Chapter One — Introduction
Natewa National Park runs continuously from the pristine coral reefs of Natewa Bay, across the shoreline and through the coastal forests, then upwards on thickly forested hill slopes to the 600metre (2000 ft) high ridges and rugged mountaintops along the backbone of the Natewa Peninsula. From Savusavu Town (which is located in south-central Vanua Levu) the Park is one hour’s drive eastward along the newly paved Hibiscus Highway. The Park has significant biological diversity, encompassing extensive unlogged hill forests, many high quality streams, and a variety of coastal habitats and coral reefs. The Park supports a correspondingly diverse flora and fauna, with a number of these being rare or threatened. Its significance increases when viewed against the historic loss of biodiversity in Fiji and elsewhere in the Pacific, and the ongoing decline of habitats and species worldwide. The Natewa National Park is managed by the Nambu Conservation Trust. The trust is a notfor-profit conservation trust established in 2013 by the Mataqali Valenisau initiated by the Vakalalabure Family, who are the traditional landowners at Nabu (pronounced ‘Nambu’) which is 6 kilometres west of Natewa Village. The Natewa Peninsula is bounded along its southern side by the Koro Sea and along its northern side by the massive Natewa Bay, which is over 1,000 square km in size and the largest bay in the South Pacific. The Peninsula is geologically and biologically an ‘almost island’ that is 60km long and averages over 10km wide. At its eastern end it is 10km from Taveuni Island, and at its western end (where it is connected by a narrow neck of land to Vanua Levu) the Peninsula is only half a kilometre wide. Natewa Peninsula probably has the highest biodiversity of plants in Fiji (Watling, pers comm.) and the same probably follows with its fauna (Wragg, pers comm.). From what little scientific research that has been completed so far we know that the Peninsula has endemic plants, insects and birds, plus a substantial area of unlogged native rainforest, plus a wide variety of other ecosystems. Much of this valuable conservation estate is under threat of destruction from unsustainable land use practices. Forest Loss The major direct threat to the biodiversity of the Natewa Peninsula is deforestation, which includes the loss of much native old growth forest. In recent decades the cultivation of dryland taro and yaqona (kava) has resulted in major native forest clearings. These clearings are common in all districts, and have caused widespread forest destruction and fragmentation. 9
This increased rate of forest clearance has been made possible with the use of chainsaws. These forest clearings can only be used for a few years, then they need to lay fallow, at which point they are often overgrown by cane grass (which is susceptible to uncontrolled burning) and more forest clearing is needed etc. This ‘slash-and-burn’ type agriculture results in destructive and unsustainable land use practices. Dryland taro and yaqona production probably represents over 90% of all financial income on the Natewa Peninsula, and this needs to be replaced by more sustainable sources of income such as eco/adventure tourism. This should include ‘Great Walks’ type projects, which would provide numerous economic opportunities to local families in all districts along the Peninsula. Rural Poor In Fiji, the “North” (which includes the Natewa Peninsula) is considered to be the country’s least developed region, with most families living with virtually zero income and with virtually zero economic opportunities. This is forcing many people to move away from their traditional villages to urban areas such as Labasa and Suva. This population drift has resulted in a major increase in the number of people living in these urban areas, often in squatter settlements with poor quality housing and low incomes. Hence, our primary objective is to provide jobs for local people in the Natewa area (thus keeping local people in the villages) and hence providing a reasonable quality of life in the rural areas, and at the same time protecting the native biodiversity.
Natewa Peninsula: An ‘almost-island’ located between Vanua Levu and Taveuni © Google
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Chapter Two — Landscape, Biodiversity & Cultural Values
What’s so special about the Natewa Peninsula?
Continuous natural habitats, primarily forest corridors, along the length of the Peninsula, encompassing major areas of tropical hardwoods, mountain plateau and cliff vegetation, coastal forests , wetland and stream environments Diverse flora in the coastal, mountain and plateau forests, probably more botanically diverse than anywhere else in Fiji (Watling, pers comm.) Important freshwater habitats for aquatic and stream edge fauna, including fish, frogs, snakes and invertebrate species Excellent buffering of many forests and streams, especially along the central plateau and north-western side of the Peninsula, where streams are well protected from erosion and siltation by surrounding shrubland and forests Presence of many threatened and significant fauna species, notably: o Fijian endemic frogs (primarily at higher altitude) o Pacific boa snake (often seen close to forest covered streams) o The endemic Silktail flycatcher (above the mongoose zone) o The endemic red shining parrot (common on high ridges) o Eels and many species of freshwater fish in the streams This near pristine environment is of significant cultural value to the Fijian people
Fijian endemic tree frog (Platymantis vitiensis) © Graham Wragg
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First land survey of Natewa District (H. H. Whittaker, 1934) showing Nabu (#27), the ikanakana of the Vakalalabure Family © iTLTB, Fiji
Detailed contour map showing boundaries of Nabu, the ikanakana of the Vakalalabure Family and what is now the Natewa National Park (inside blue line) © Lands & Survey, Fiji
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Chapter Three — Nambu Conservation Trust and Natewa National Park
The Nambu Conservation Trust (NCT) was established as a not-for-profit trust under the Fiji Companies Act (#RCBS2013G5115) on 29th August 2013 (TIN # 60-80926-0-9). The eight founding Trustees/Directors (4 men and 4 women) are all landowners of the Natewa National Park from the Vakalalabure family and their Mataqali Valenisau. They established the ‘Trust’ with the following objectives: -----------------
This trust is not for profit or for gain but for charitable purpose such that all income derived from the administration of the land subject of this trust namely Nabu and any other Mataqali land and including marine resources associated with those lands is not to be distributed but to be applied for the general conservation of the land and its marine resources and for activities that will provide sustainable livelihood for Mataqali members;
To set aside high quality land and marine resources for nature conservation, eco-tourism development, and the revival of historical sustainable traditional cultural practices;
Educating members of the trust and other communities about conservation and environmental values that is involved in ecological conservation and restoration;
Educating members of the trust and other communities on good governance and proper regulated ecotourism as an empowerment tool for members of the trust and communities to manage their biodiversity sustainably;
Empowerment of women and gender and youth to play key roles in sustainable economic-livelihoods on their own land;
Initiating and supporting any other conservation measures within the Natewa Peninsular that furthers the aims of this trust including but not limited to managing costal, wetland, river valley, alpine, lake system and other quality habitat for endangered species or conservations programs or projects of like nature;
To advance the wellbeing and welfare of the members of the Trust in its most liberal and general term including through the implementation of education scholarship schemes and of business within the area of land and sea allocated to the Trust by its members.
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Natewa National Park managed by the Nambu Conservation Trust © Graham Wragg
Nabu (pronounced Nambu) has been owned and used by the chiefly family of Natewa (Vakalalabure family of Mataqali Valenisau) for well over one hundred years, probably much longer, as Nabu has a very large ridge-fort at its heart and a chiefly house mound on the coast. Nabu has held a tabu for over one hundred years on cutting down of vesi and other large native timbers, and this goes back into prehistory. What remains is a rare and excellent example of native forest that stretches from the seashore to the mountain tops. Nabu has massive vesi trees with their roots in salt water, something virtually unknown from anywhere else in Fiji. A lot of effort and thought was put into the establishment of the Nambu Conservation Trust (which manages the Natewa National Park). The Trust is probably unique in Fiji as a wholly ‘landowner controlled’ not-for-profit conservation trust with specific land to manage. The Vakalalabure family drafted the trust deed in the modern sprit of conservation management worldwide. The landowners of Natewa National Park see the Park’s sustainable development as a long-term process. Dr Graham Wragg (D.Phil., Univ. of Oxford, UK) has been appointed the CEO of the Trust. Dr Wragg trained in National Parks management at Lincoln University in New Zealand, and has worked as a conservation scientist in the Pacific Islands for the last 25 years. 14
The NCT members are of chiefly descend and are fully aware of the responsibility they have inherited from their forefathers. For example, due to the foresight, fierce independence and absolute power of past years, they have never allowed the sale of freehold land in their district. The NCT Trustees are committed to upholding the conservation traditions of their ancestors in protecting Nabu for its natural values and beauty by establishing it as a National Park. The Park is of substantial social and economic benefit to all the people of the region, hence the landowners’ decision to make Nabu a modern example of integrated nature conservation and sustainable economic development, and to declare their National Park freely open to all visitors of any nationality.
Massive native hardwood tree ‘Vesi’ growing very close to the seashore at Natewa National Park © Graham Wragg
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Clearing the land at Natewa National Park © Graham Wragg
Restoring the ancient water taro terraces © Graham Wragg
Planting of wetland taro at the Park © Ulamila Vakalalabure
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Chapter Four — Extensions to Park Boundaries
A very bright future is likely for Natewa National Park, as most of the neighbouring Mataqali have expressed an interest in leasing their traditional land to the NCT as an extension to the Natewa National Park boundaries. The people of Natewa never sold land as freehold (probably the only district in Fiji to be like this), hence, long term leasing (99 years) is the only option available for securing high quality conservation land for future generations in the Natewa area. These areas includes high biodiversity land, such as old growth forest, mountain plateau ecosystems, limestone outcrops, hot springs, mountain lakes and wetlands, etc. all of which can be incorporated into the Natewa National Park in future. The iTaukei Lands Trust Board (iTLTB) has requested the NCT to develop guidelines for a new type of lease which would allow the landowners to develop their own businesses on this land (eg. land leased to the NCT for eco-tourism and National Park purposes) such as accommodations, guided walks, water sports etc.
Orange Doves (Chrysoenas Victor) These are common residents of Natewa National Park © Dick Watling
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Legend: RED: Natewa National Park (mountains to the sea - core conservation area) GREEN: High mountain plateau (a very rare habitat type - in need of protection) BLUE: A continuous stretch of tropical rainforest (running 30km from Natewa National Park to the eastern end of the Natewa Peninsula - this corridor of native forest allows the movement of flora and fauna along the length of the Peninsula) © Map by Lands and Survey, Fiji
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Clearing invasive breadfruit trees from close to the shoreline at Natewa National Park © Graham Wragg
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Chapter Five – Sustainable Economic Development
The establishment of Natewa Bay as a World Heritage Site Natewa Bay is the largest bay in the South Pacific (with a surface area of over 1,000 sq km). It has been suggested as a UNESCO World Heritage Site by the UNESCO scientist Dr Ron Van Oers. The bay is very deep (averaging 500m) and is well protected from large ocean waves. This results in a protected shoreline, and the very unusual situation of having many large forest trees with their roots and lower branches submerged in seawater at high tide. The two major requirements (by UNESCO) for the listing of Natewa Bay as a World Heritage Site are: 1) The need for basic biological information on Natewa Bay, such as fish lists and habitat details. The NCT is well connected to the scientific community and can take a lead role in a marine survey of this sort. 2) The establishment of an effective management group, responsible for the UNESCO application process and longer term conservation management of the bay. The NCT can take a lead role in this, as the Vakalalabure family have strong traditional connections with all the Mataqali that surround Natewa Bay. The Nambu Conservation Trust can take a major role in the UNESCO listing process and the management of Natewa Bay as a World Heritage Site after it succeeds. However, it needs basic infrastructure in place such as access to the bay via a wharf and boat ramp, a suitably sized boat for the required marine biodiversity surveys, plus suitable accommodation and office facilities for visiting scientists and resource managers.
Hot water spring: Plenty of boiling water emerging from the mountain side in Natewa © Graham Wragg
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Economic Development Options Natewa National Park has high quality beach front property available for the construction of the following buildings and infrastructure: 1. Science/Education centre This building would be a multi-role science & education centre. The centre will include a multipurpose lecture theatre and education facility, plus space for administration, visiting scientists, a small natural history and cultural museum, internet access, etc. These facilities will be available for all science/cultural/educational groups (both Fijian and international). A major market already exists for day trip usage by tourists from the numerous local tourist resorts close to Savusavu town. 2. Bure type accommodation Natewa National Park offers an ideal location for visiting University study groups from the USA/Canada and Australia/NZ. These groups will be visiting for ca. 6-10 days per group and will have ca. 10-15 biology/geography degree students, supervised by ca. 3-5 lecturers/group leaders. For these groups, the Natewa National Park offers all types of marine and land based cultural and biological activities. The financial return is substantial, with the average group of this kind paying ca. $1,000 USD per day for full use of the facilities. Extra money is available for the use of local boats and visits to neighbouring villages for traditional activities such as the manufacture of tapa cloth and voivoi mats. 3. Wharf and boat ramp Marine science will be a major feature of the science-education options available at Natewa National Park. The wharf will be essential as a base for the National Park boats. A primary use will be the access it provides for marine scientists as progress is made towards listing Natewa Bay as a World Heritage Site. Sustainable long-term economic activity will include eco/adventure tourism of all sorts, including snorkelling/scuba diving and sailing tours around Natewa Bay. 4. ‘Great Walks’: The long term goal of the ‘Great Walks’ project is to provide tracks suitable for many types of users, including mountain trekking, horse riding, quad bike tours, mountain biking and long distance runners etc. This will be a first project of this type for Fiji, and will probably be a first project of this type in the South Pacific Islands.
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View from Niuvudi Plateau looking south towards Natewa National Park © Graham Wragg
A ‘High Ridge Walk’ along the Natewa Peninsula (20km) This track will be approximately 20km long and follow the ridgeline along the backbone of the Natewa Peninsula. The track will average 400-600m above sea level. At this altitude the air is cool enough for hiking at any time of year, and the oldgrowth rainforest is very healthy. There are also a large number of archaeological sites, such as spectacular hill forts and 2000+ year-old walking tracks along the ridges. These tracks are often deeply grooved into the mountain sides from high usage in centuries past. Most of these tracks predate the Roman roads of Europe in their origins. This mountain ridge track does not come close to any village, and would require three or four mountain huts for safety and overnight accommodation. This walk would start at Natewa National Park and would finish at Wailevu Village on the Natewa Bay side of Tunuloa district.
A ‘Coastal Walk’ around the end of the Natewa Peninsula (20km) This track will follow along the coastline around the tip of the Peninsula (which has no road access), and will bring together a large number of picturesque sandy bays and spectacular small headlands. Many of these bays contain isolated small villages. The local people have a long history of welcoming guests from afar, and would quickly make the most of the economic opportunities that this type of adventure tourism offers. This walk would start at Wailevu Village (in Tunuloa) and finish at Karoko Village on the Buca Bay side of the Peninsula
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A ‘Mountain Walk’ from Natewa Village to Buca Bay (15km) Up until about 40 years ago (when a road to Natewa Village was first constructed) this track was in regular use. Parts of this track are deeply grooved into the mountain side (due to high human usage) and this ancient walkway can be opened up again for tourism. It is 15km long, and after departing Natewa Village makes a quick climb up to the Niuvudi Plateau. After this, it follows the low ridges overlooking the Buca River (on the eastern side of the Peninsula) down to the coast at Buca Bay.
The first two of these great walks can be connected together at Wailevu Village (Tunuloa). This village has daily bus access to Savusavu (via Natewa Village) plus small village shops for supplies. The first and third of these walks can be connected together on the mountain ridge close to Niuvudi, which is on the high plateau behind Natewa Village.
Water taro at Natewa © Graham Wragg
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Chapter Six — Threats To Biodiversity Threats to Natewa National Park’s biodiversity are many and varied, but all are humaninduced, whether intentional or accidental. Some impacts are the result of historic actions, in particular deforestation and the introduction of pest animals and plants. Most of the coastal and lowland forests have been lost since the arrival of people in Fiji 3,000 years ago. Cats, rats, mongoose, pigs and numerous weeds have become the widespread invasive species of today. Impacts can occur at both a broad landscape scale, such as the ongoing impacts of pest species, or can be more site specific, such as earthworks causing stream siltation, forest clearance for unsustainable dryland taro/kava planting, or road construction causing habitat fragmentation, weed introduction and edge effects. Impacts that directly affect biodiversity, whether at the ecosystem level, or species level, are described below with examples.
Burning grassland which came as close as 50m to the homes at Natewa Village in October 2014. This fire killed thousands of trees and shrubs along many kilometres of native rainforest edge. These deliberately lit fires are annual events along the southern shores of Natewa Bay © Graham Wragg
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HUMAN IMPACTS
Habitat loss has had the greatest impact on biodiversity in Fiji (and many other Pacific Islands). This is due to the widespread destruction of forests, streams, wetlands, coastal mangroves and coral reefs in recent years. Such loss has peaked in the last 50 years, especially with logging of indigenous forests and expanding agricultural land use. Other habitats, such as wetlands and coastal forests have been far less fortunate, with little regard being given to these nationally rare habitats during the 20th century. As a consequence wetland and coastal forests (and hence their biota) are increasingly rare in Fiji, and those that remain have become more valuable. Habitat fragmentation (causing loss of linkages and forest corridors) is a significant problem. Fauna and flora are more vulnerable when this occurs and will be less genetically viable in the long term. Linkages between natural areas are important to the dispersal of plants and animals, thereby enabling the distribution and health of populations to be maintained. Habitat degradation brought about by fires, grazing and weed encroachment can also be a serious problem. In Natewa this can be seen in the low quality of the coastal forests, which are under threat from high human usage. Degradation compounds the issue of habitat loss and fragmentation. Poor farming/forestry practice resulting in eutrophication of streams and wetlands can impact on stream health, invertebrate and fish populations. Silty runoff is very destructive to the coastal coral reefs and its associated fish and invertebrate fauna. Invasive weeds can impact on forest health by smothering new growth or preventing flowering and fruiting. These weeds are often shade tolerant understory species or they can climb into the canopy. Exotic pines also have the potential to become problematic as wildings. Without surveillance and management, invasive weeds can quickly become significant problems, requiring a major investment in time and effort to contain and eradicate. Road developments can introduce weeds accidentally via machinery. Garden escapes and inappropriate planting choices can add unwanted plants to the local flora. Streams can transport weeds. Weeds occur in all habitat types, but are particularly common in man-altered environments.
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Introduced predatory mongoose © Graham Wragg
Pest animals, such as the mongoose, cats and rodents impact on entire forest ecosystems by disrupting ecological processes. They impact on populations of invertebrates, lizards, some birds and potentially native frogs, and they deplete seeds and seedlings on the ground. They also impact on rare species by direct predation of adults and young. Wild pigs, horses, cows and goats can impact on rare or uncommon plant communities and regeneration generally. Where livestock are allowed to graze in forests or wetlands, resultant trampling and destruction of vegetation prevents regeneration. Pigs can impact on ecosystems in general and rare fauna (eg. frogs and snails) they also spread weeds. Alien wasps and alien ants are also present and likely to impact on ecological process and species but data are scarce from the Pacific Islands. Introduced birds (like myna) could have adverse effects on indigenous fauna but their impacts are likely to be less than those of introduced mammals. Vertebrate pests in general can have effects on forest health that are often poorly understood and possibly under-estimated. For example, in New Zealand the recent removal of many pests from most of the smaller offshore islands has shown spectacular responses of fungi, invertebrates and lizards, reflecting a release from predation pressure. Approaching management in a holistic way is clearly desirable if a high level of ecological functioning is to be achieved. Unfortunately biosecurity control levels are weak, so more threats will arise in future.
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Chapter Seven — Conclusions and Recommendations
The Natewa National Park has a wide variety of habitats encompassing mountain and coastal forests, shrub lands, coastal headlands, streams and wetlands. Many of these support threatened and sensitive flora and fauna, and nearly all are under some level of threat from the direct or indirect impacts of human activity. None of this area has ever received any form of biodiversity management; hence there is enormous unrealised potential for Natewa National Park to contribute to enriched biodiversity on a national and regional scale. Conservation projects benefit from a more integrated approach, primarily involving better communication, resourcing and coordination of effort. Some key aspects of biodiversity management over the study area include: FOREST HEALTH 1) Maintain the current impetus to conserve the biota of Natewa National Park. 2) Encourage the management of other key sites for biodiversity and the development of improved linkages/corridors between them, including developing a network of leased conservation land along the backbone of the Natewa Peninsula. 3) Build a wider and more integrated pest control program in the Natewa district. One that targets pigs, invasive vines, weeds and potentially other pests. This would involve meetings with landowners, relevant agencies and companies to discuss objectives, funding sources, feasibility and sustainability. THREATENED FLORA AND FAUNA 1) Maintain and expand ecosystem pest management as described above. Maintain and/or implement predator management around key breeding sites, eg. mongoose, rat and cat control around silktail breeding sites. This will also benefit other forest birds, including pigeons, parrots, honeyeaters and other fauna. 2) Survey above sites for lizard and frog management opportunities. If key species are present, or suspected to be present, maintain year-round rodent control. 3) Encourage people to report rare bird, frog, snake and bat sightings etc. and follow these up and keep database. 4) Maintain strong links with botanists and ecologists who can advise on specific management and monitoring of threatened fauna and flora and their habitats. 5) Encourage scientific study and research by tertiary institutions.
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STREAM AND WETLAND HEALTH 1) Identify the potential for restoring wetland habitats. 2) Consider other catchments where there are potentially significant benefits for low levels of restoration work, eg. removing obstructions and undertaking fencing and planting. This could also involve collection of baseline information for some of the less well known streams. 3) Coordinate efforts with other agencies and groups, recognizing any existing guidelines on stream and wetland management. This could involve significant technical and financial support from national and international agencies covering feasibility, methodology, sustainability and monitoring
INTEGRATED CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT 1) Recognise and identify Natewa National Park as a priority area for protection and management in regional and national planning documents. 2) Provide opportunities via workshops and field days for the exchange of ideas and information between different groups, such as landowners, conservation groups, scientists, universities and other agencies. These would cover pest impacts, pest control methods, and more generic management issues and solutions. 3) As restoration initiatives develop, consider setting up a framework for coordinating activities. This could be a ‘landcare’ forum, possibly following the model established in NZ and Australia with their volunteer ‘landcare’ groups, or coordinating with international conservation volunteer work programmes. 4) Advocate the need for regional and national governments to address inconsistencies in statutory planning documents - especially to achieve integrated management of major natural features like Natewa National Park; and to effectively protect and maintain indigenous biodiversity as required by the NBSAP (Fijian National Biodiversity Strategic Action Policy) policy statement. 5) Alert the neighbouring Mataqali to the potential for additional Fijian Ecotourism and National Park leases of their land as additions to Natewa National Park, and hence to secure long term protection of surrounding conservation land through the implementation of a solid legal status such as an ‘iTLTB’ 99 year land lease. This would consolidate linkages between the protected areas in the Natewa District.
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SOME LONG-TERM MATTERS 1) With increasing evidence of potentially extreme climate events in the future, there is a need to consider ways of better buffering the coastal and hill-country forests from catastrophic weather effects, eg. Drought, fire and severe storms. 2) The best buffers are those provided by large diverse landscapes; in which biota occur over a wide area with many potential safe havens - such as sheltered damp valley systems, different ridge alignments and high altitude ridges and plateaus. The Natewa National Park (with its diverse topography) is such a landscape, and the ability of biota to move to refuges during extreme events could be further enhanced by the leasing of quality conservation areas on neighbouring Mataqali lands. 3) There will be significant community benefits from the associated economic development offered by the presence of the National Park in the area. 4) As human population growth occurs worldwide, with accompanying urban and rural development, there will be further challenges to biodiversity, and as an increasing need for protected natural areas. 5) A key need is to attract/retain healthy people who can manage the often physical requirements of eco-adventure tourism operations (on land and at sea) and the day to day work required in maintaining the Park in top condition.
Kava plantations have resulted in unsustainable forest clearings © Graham Wragg
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Acknowledgements
We wish to thank the Vakalalabure family (Mataqali Valenisau) of Natewa for dedicating their ikanakana land at Nabu as an open access National Park for everyone to enjoy. Their foresight in establishing the Nambu Conservation Trust (as the management authority for the Park) is a model for others to follow. Their vision is truly in the spirit of modern conservation principles, and we applaud their hard work in this regard. We agree with them that the powerful underlying principle of marrying economic development with nature conservation truly holds a positive vision for the future of mankind. The writing and production of this report was undertaken with financial assistance from the ‘Community Development and Knowledge Management for the Satoyama Initiative’ (COMDEKS) fund, which is managed by the UNDP, Suva, Fiji. Special thanks to Ratu Rakuita Vakalalabure for his powerful and supportive foreword. Many thanks to Richard Seaman for permission to use his photo of the Natewa Dragonfly on page 4 (www.richard-seaman.com).
Native ferns in sunlight © Graham Wragg
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Appendix 1 - List of Natewa & Tunuloa Forest Birds
ENGLISH NAME (Note 1)
FIJIAN NAME
SCIENTIFIC NAME
ENDEMICITY
BirdLife (2004) (Note 2)
NatureFiji (2014) (Note 3)
Reba
Accipiter rufitorques
Fiji endemic
Uncommon
Common
White-throated Pigeon
Soqeloa
Columba vitiensis
Regional endemic
Not recorded
Common
Friendly Ground Dove
Qilu
Gallicolumba stairi
Regional endemic
Uncommon
Common
Barking Pigeon
Soqe
Ducula latrans
Fiji endemic
Very common
Common
Kulavotu
Ptilinopus perousii
Regional endemic
Fairly common
Not recorded
Orange Dove
Bune
Chrysoenas Victor
Vanua Levu endemic
Very common
Very Common
Collared Lory
Kula
Phigys solitarius
Fiji endemic
Fairly common
Fairly Common
Red-throated Lorikeet
Kulawai
Charmosyna amabilis
Fiji endemic
Not recorded
Not recorded
Red Shining Parrot
Vaga
Prosopeia tabuensis
Vanua Levu endemic
Very common
Common
Fan-tailed Cuckoo
Todi
Cacomantis flabelliformis
Fiji endemic
Uncommon
Not recorded
Kakabace
Collocalia spodiopygius
Regional endemic
Common
Not recorded
Collared Kingfisher
Lesi
Todiramphus chloris
Regional endemic
Fairly common
Not recorded
Fiji Woodswallow
Vukase
Artamus mentalis
Fiji endemic
Uncommon
Not recorded
Polynesian Starling
Vocea
Aplonis tabuensis
Regional endemic
Rare
Rare
Tola
Turdus poliocephalus
Regional endemic
Not recorded
Fairly Common
Manu
Cettia ruficapilla
Fiji endemic
Very common
Very Common
Manukalou
Trichocichla rufa
Fiji endemic
Not recorded
Not recorded
Diriqwala
Petroica multicolor
Regional endemic
Common
Not recorded
Streaked Fantail
Sasaira
Rhipidura spilodera
Regional endemic
Very common
Very Common
Slaty Monarch
Sasaira
Mayrornis lessoni
Fiji endemic
Common
Common
Lesser Shrikebill
Digisau
Clytorhynchus vitiensis
Regional endemic
Fairly common
Fairly Common
Kiro
Clytorhynchus nigrogularis
Fiji endemic
Rare
Rare
Fiji Goshawk
Many-coloured Fruitdove
White-rumped Swiftlet
Island Thrush Fiji Bush-warbler Long-legged warbler Scarlet Robin
Black-faced Shrikebill
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Vanikoro Broadbill
Matayalo
Myiagra vanikorensis
Regional endemic
Common
Common
Blue-crested Broadbill
Batidamu
Myiagra azureocapilla
Fiji endemic
Not recorded
Not recorded
Golden Whistler
Ketedromo
Pachycephala pectoralis
Regional endemic
Very common
Very Common
Polynesian Triller
Manusa
Lalage maculosa
Regional endemic
Fairly common
Fairly Common
Fiji White-eye
Qiqi
Zosterops explorator
Fiji endemic
Very common
Common
Silvereye
Qiqi
Zosterops lateralis
Aust/NZ Pacific Is
Uncommon
Uncommon
Qiqikula
Erythrura pealii
Fiji endemic
Uncommon
Uncommon
Silktail Flycatcher
Sisi
Lamprolia victoriae
Natewa-Tunuloa & Taveuni endemic
Common
Common
Orange-breasted Myzomela
Delakula
Myzomela jugularis
Fiji endemic
Common
Common
Wattled Honeyeater
Kikau
Foulehaio carunculata
Regional endemic
Fairly common
Not recorded
Giant Forest Honeyeater
Sovau
Gymnomyza viridis
Fiji endemic
Not recorded
Not recorded
Fiji Parrotfinch
Notes: 1) Names of birds follow the checklist in Watling (2001) 'Birds of Fiji and Western Polynesia' 2) BirdLife (2003) data from 'Bird Survey of Natovotovo Forest, Tunuloa, Cakaudrove, 20–24 April, 2004' (Field Report # 24, BirdLife International, Suva, Fiji) 3) NatureFiji (2014) data from Mere Valu (pers comm) (from 'Ecosystem Services Assessment' project fieldwork by NatureFiji-MareqetiViti in 2014)
Silktail flycatcher (Lamprolia victoriae) A Natewa-Tunuloa Taveuni endemic species © Dick Watling
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Appendix 2 - Glossary of Technical Terms
Biodiversity: The diversity of plant and animal life in an area, including the habitats and species present and their genetic composition. Biota: The sum of plant and animal life living in an area. Buffer: An area or habitat, normally adjacent to a very sensitive area, that can absorb the impact of negative forces, eg streambank vegetation can provide a buffer for a stream and its biota by reducing sediment and nutrients that can enter the waterways. Corridor: A length of habitat type that provides a linkage between two or more other sites, providing access for fauna and flora species. Diversity: The range of species, biological communities and landforms in a given area. Ecological restoration: The restoring of natural habitats. Ecosystem: All living and nonliving components of a defined area (eg. Natewa Peninsula) and the relationships between them. Edge effect: Applies mostly to narrow and fragmented habitats where the effects of weeds and predators are heightened along with wind damage, desiccation, etc. Endemic: Confined to an area, eg Red shining parrot and native frogs are endemic to Fiji. Exotic: introduced to Fiji and/or Vanua Levu. (Not indigenous). Habitat: The specific environment of an individual or species. Invertebrate: Animal with external skeleton, eg insects, molluscs, crustaceans. iTLTB: iTaukei Lands Trust Board – responsible for all leases of native land (as a legislated monopoly) ikanakana: This land is allocated by the Mataqali to individual families - traditionally as a place to feed from and to have the management rights. Mataqali: Sub-tribe – the basic unit of landholding in Fiji since the arrival of Europeans. Mongoose: Member of the mustelid family, which includes ferrets, stoats and weasels. Rodent: A mouse or rat. Sustainability: The long-term viability of an area in relation to size and external pressures.
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Threatened: A plant or animal considered to be at risk of extinction. Threat categories are formalised and periodically revised by the IUCN. Tapa: Bark cloth that was once the major export of the Natewa district (see photo below) Vina’a va’alevu: Natewan dialect Fijian for ‘Many thanks’. Vesi (Intsia bijuga): A large hardwood tree important in pre-European times for carving kava bowls and for boatbuilding etc. Still used widely today for decking and outdoor furniture. Wetland: An area of land that is permanently or seasonally flooded with still or slow flowing water.
Traditional Natewa tapa cloth & motifs © Graham Wragg
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Sunset on Natewa Bay, the largest bay in the South Pacific © Graham Wragg
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Red shining parrot (Prosopeia tabuensis) A common resident of Natewa National Park © Dick Watling
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