Monifa Fiu

Reviving Culture of Biodiversity Conservation Initiative - Local Knowledge and Customary Practices of Rotuma Island

Canoe Carving.

CW workshop.

LäjeRotuma is a voluntary, community-based environmental awareness and development program initiated in February 2002 by a group of young Rotuman professionals who share a common heritage and commitment to mobilize their own island community to manage well their very limited natural resources and fragile island ecosystem. Rotuma is a 43 square kilometer island located 300 miles Northwest of the main Fiji Group.

Shift in value and use of natural resources accelerates loss of Rotuman traditional knowledge and practices important to biodiversity conservation. The LäjeRotuma project recognize the use and conservation of biodiversity as an integral part of Rotuman culture- traditional practices that cannot be separated from its ethical, aesthetic values, or from its socio economic reality. LäjeRotuma has focused its activities under four interlinked themes encapsulated in community empowerment, education, awareness and active people participation in building community resilience, quantifying uniqueness and biodiversity status of Rotuma, and ethnobotany, conservation, protection and nurturing principles.

LäjeRotuma is locally governed by the island and promotes community ownership of sustainable resource management actions, research initiatives derived from five years of consultation for which community environmental priorities match some conservation measure. Inter-island community partnerships as well as with other indigenous communities (through cultural exchanges), government and research institutions will foster community participation and commitment to protect their own natural heritage.

For more information contact lajerotuma@unwired.com.fj or go to www.rotuma.net/lajerotuma