In 1984, a fishing competition awarded over $1500 worth of prizes to the top fishing group and individual fishermen in the Western Division. According to an article from The Fiji Times published on March 12 that year, the Ratu Busa group from Yaqeta Village, Yasawa, emerged as the leading fishing group, while the individual title went to Muttap Reddy from Nacovi, Nadi.
The Ratu Busa group received a variety of prizes, including a 15-horsepower outboard engine, a transistor radio, fishing lines, an engine tank, and a carton of canned fish. Their leader, Kini Jioji Rakata, was also awarded tickets from Fiji Air to visit the Pacific Fishing Company canning factory in Levuka. Muttap Reddy’s prizes encompassed fishing equipment, canned fish, and a sack of flour.
The prizes were presented by Farouk Sahu Khan, who was the Divisional Planning Officer for the Western Division at that time. The Ratu Busa Group, established in 1977, owned two fishing vessels measuring 8.5 meters, a 7.5-meter punt powered by a 28-horsepower engine, and various fishing nets and lines. Their fishing endeavors enabled them to construct two three-bedroom concrete houses in their village.
They initially financed their project with an $8300 contribution from New Zealand Aid, alongside a $9500 boat purchase, ultimately covering the remaining costs through a Fiji Development Bank loan. Reddy had been fishing since 1970, utilizing a half-cabin boat measuring 7 by 5 meters with a 40-horsepower motor, along with a smaller open punt and various fishing nets. He also built a two-bedroom concrete house on leased crown land acquired through his fishing income.
The Fisheries Department established criteria for the awards based on fishing performance, loan repayment, and the provision of catch data for record-keeping.