Two women from Nabuono Village in Udu, Vanua Levu, took part in a three-day National Symposium for Community-Led Initiatives focused on Environmental Sustainability held at the Albert Park conference room in Suva.
Paulini Raumala and Marica Mocevakaura represented the Veilomani Women’s Club from Udu and are leading efforts in sea turtle conservation by raising cattle as they seek alternative livelihood options to lessen the pressure on marine resources.
“We have been prohibited from hunting sea turtles for food, so we have turned to cattle farming for our sustenance,” Ms. Raumala stated. “This marks our second month of raising cattle, and thus far, it has been going exceptionally well.”
She added, “Last week, we welcomed our final herd consisting of six cows. We now have a total of 15 cows, nine of which are currently pregnant. This initiative by the Veilomani Women’s Club aims to promote food sustainability in our village and ultimately put an end to the hunting of sea turtles.”
Furthermore, they are participating in the symposium to seek assistance in obtaining an engine for a fiber boat and help with repairing another fiber boat in their village, which would improve their transport options to school and neighboring villages.