The Ministry of Fisheries has announced a four-month seasonal closure on all species of grouper (locally Kawakawa) and coral trout (Donu) to protect these fish during their critical spawning season. In a public notice released this week, Acting Permanent Secretary for Fisheries and Forestry Saimone Tauvoli said the restrictions will come into force on June 1, 2026, and remain in place until September 30, 2026.
Tauvoli set out a broad blanket of prohibited activities for the period. From June 1, it will be unlawful to fish for, collect, land, sell, display for sale, transport, receive, possess, deal in or export any Kawakawa or Donu species. The ban explicitly covers movements between local markets — including transfers from Vanua Levu to Viti Levu — and applies to fishers, seafood traders and exporters alike.
To manage stock caught before the closure, the Ministry has given vendors and fishermen until 11:00pm on Sunday, May 31, 2026 to sell any remaining Kawakawa and Donu within Fiji. Any fish not sold by that deadline must be frozen, properly bagged and labelled with the name of the fisherman or vendor and the date the stock was received. Those frozen stocks must remain in storage and may not be offered for sale while the seasonal closure is in effect.
Further compliance steps are required: all fishermen and vendors holding frozen Kawakawa or Donu are directed to submit written details of their quantities to the relevant Divisional Fisheries Office by June 1, 2026. The Ministry’s notice also states that stored fish must be made available for inspection when required by authorities, signalling active enforcement during the closure.
The seasonal ban is being enforced under Regulation 4 of the Offshore Fisheries Management Regulation and applies to species listed under Schedule 2A. Tauvoli warned that breaches of the regulation will constitute an offence and urged fishers, seafood traders, exporters and the public to comply in support of sustainable fisheries management and protection of Fiji’s marine resources.
Seasonal closures have become a standard fisheries management tool aimed at reducing pressure on spawning aggregations and allowing stock replenishment. Grouper and coral trout are high-value reef species that spawn in aggregated events during the cooler months; fisheries managers say restricting take during this window improves long-term yields and resilience of inshore fisheries that many coastal communities rely on. The Ministry’s latest notice is the operative directive for operators and vendors ahead of the June 1 start date.