Tourism operators generate substantial revenue from activities tied to marine and coastal ecosystems, yet they contribute nothing towards managing these vital environments. This finding comes from the “National marine ecosystem service valuation: Fiji” report released by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).
The report highlights how Fiji’s marine and coastal ecosystems have bolstered tourism-related activities. Both domestic and international visitors are drawn to Fiji for its ocean views, diving, snorkeling, parasailing, and game fishing. However, it warns that the oceans are at risk of mismanagement.
Despite earning millions annually from these ecosystem-related ventures, tourism operators do not financially support the management of the marine and coastal resources nor the local communities that rely on them. The report emphasizes the need for a sustainable tourism management plan that ensures tourism contributes to the sustainable management of marine resources and alleviates poverty not just in tourist hotspots, but across the entire nation.
Moreover, the report suggests that any policy designed to encourage sustainable management of coastal and marine resources should be comparable to the REDD+ project. It proposes the establishment of a government conservation fund to manage and finance conservation efforts using revenue from environmental taxes to enhance the implementation of conservation policies.