At 62, yaqona and dalo farmer Paula Kuli of Bagaraki in Wailevu, Cakaudrove has completed his first prawn farming cycle, turning a small pilot into a practical lesson in both income generation and the challenges of aquaculture in Fiji’s Northern Division. Kuli stocked his pond with 1,200 post-larvae prawns on January 28, 2023, and, despite heavy losses during the run, managed to harvest five kilograms of prawns which he sold to Captains Cafe Restaurant for $55 per kilogram, earning $275.
The Ministry of Fisheries supported the pilot by providing five bags of specialised aquaculture feed, each valued at $50.60. That in-kind assistance, together with local labour and Kuli’s existing farming know‑how, underpinned the venture and demonstrated how modest inputs can translate into marketable output for smallholders branching into aquaculture.
Kuli’s first cycle exposed several environmental and operational vulnerabilities that limited production. A prolonged dry spell reduced dam water levels feeding the pond, leaving it shallow and prone to temperature spikes. High water temperatures, a known stressor for prawns, contributed to elevated mortality rates during the cycle. The site’s proximity to a village footpath also created an unexpected risk: children reportedly lowered the pond’s outlet pipe, causing sudden drops in water level that further stressed stock.
Learning from these setbacks, Kuli is making practical changes ahead of his second cycle. He plans to raise the outlet standpipe to three metres to help maintain deeper, cooler water and reduce temperature-related losses. He is also establishing a secondary standby water source to buffer the pond against future dry spells and intermittent supply disruptions. Those measures aim to stabilise water levels and improve survival rates for subsequent stocking events.
The experience provides immediate, ground-level data for fisheries officers and development partners exploring aquaculture expansion in the Northern Division. It highlights the importance of water security, basic pond infrastructure and community awareness — even simple safeguards such as securing outlet pipes — when introducing prawn farming to smallholders who may not have prior experience with intensive water management.
Kuli’s pivot into prawn farming at an age when many contemplate retirement underscores a wider trend of diversification among Fiji’s rural producers. While the first cycle’s five-kilogram harvest was modest, it converted to a tangible cash return and a market link with a local buyer. The adjustments planned for the next cycle will be watched closely by the Ministry of Fisheries and other farmers in the region as an early case study in scaling small-scale aquaculture under Northern Division conditions.