Two women from Nabuono Village in Udu, Vanua Levu, attended a three-day National Symposium for Community-Led Initiatives on Environmental Sustainability held at the Albert Park conference room in Suva.
Paulini Raumala and Marica Mocevakaura, representatives of the Veilomani Women’s Club from Udu, are leading efforts in sea turtle conservation by turning to cattle farming as a means to provide alternative livelihood options that reduce pressure on marine resources.
“We have been prohibited from consuming sea turtles, so we have shifted to cattle farming for our food,” Ms. Raumala stated. “This is our second month of raising cattle, and so far, it has been going really well for us. Last week, we received our final herd, which consisted of six cows. We now have a total of 15 cows, with nine currently pregnant.”
“This initiative, part of the Veilomani Women’s Club, aims to ensure food sustainability in our village and to put an end to the killing of sea turtles. We are participating in this symposium to request assistance for acquiring an engine for a fiber boat and for repairs on another fiber boat in our village, which will help us with transportation to school and other villages.”