The Fiji Police Force has reported a total of 534 cases of yaqona plant theft on Taveuni Island from October 2019 to October 2023. Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, who also oversees the Police, made this statement during a parliamentary session in response to concerns raised by Ioane Naivalurua, the leader of the Group of Nine (G9), regarding the rising trend of yaqona thefts in the region.
Mr. Rabuka noted that while there have been challenges in managing these thefts, the police are actively working to curb the incidents through various strategies, including a community engagement approach known as the vanua method. The statistics reveal that thefts surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly between 2019 and 2020, peaking in 2020 with 115 cases. Following a decline in the subsequent years, 2023 has seen a resurgence, with 82 cases reported from January to October, indicating a concerning trend.
A comparison of the statistics over the years shows the following breakdown:
– 2019: 71 cases
– 2020: 115 cases
– 2021: 111 cases
– 2022: 98 cases
– 2023: 57 cases
– January to October 2024: 82 cases
In his address, Mr. Rabuka emphasized the collaboration between the police and local churches, particularly the Methodist Church, to combat this issue. He pointed out the rising incidents of green yaqona thefts, noting the absence of regulations governing the sale and purchase of green yaqona plants. The police are advocating for a policy that requires all yaqona business license holders to include the sale of green yaqona in their operational criteria.
This situation highlights the ongoing challenges faced by local communities and law enforcement, but it also opens an opportunity for collaborative community action and potential regulatory reforms to strengthen the management and protection of yaqona as a vital cultural and economic resource in Fiji. By fostering partnerships between law enforcement and community organizations, there is hope for a significant reduction in these thefts moving forward.
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