Fiji may face severe financial repercussions if ocean temperatures continue to rise, according to Margaret Vakalalabure, manager of the Coral Reef Rescue Initiative for World Wildlife Fund Fiji. She noted that coastal communities are likely to suffer significantly, with their livelihoods threatened as warmer waters impact fishing activities.
“All living creatures in the water maintain a certain temperature, and with the current temperature, they can spawn and feed,” Vakalalabure stated during a workshop held by the Wildlife Conservation Society. She warned that without immediate action, the potential economic consequences could reach millions of dollars.
Vakalalabure explained that as the Earth’s surface temperature rises, it leads to increased water temperatures, resulting in low oxygen levels in the sea. “This can trigger fish kills, as witnessed just before Cyclone Winston struck in March 2016, particularly along the Coral Coast and other areas in Fiji.”
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, ocean temperatures have risen by two degrees Celsius, which also affects coral reefs. “Our coral reefs will begin to bleach. They are the forests of the sea, and their decline impacts everything around them,” she added. Vakalalabure emphasized that the rising temperatures are taking a heavy toll on Fiji’s corals.