WASHINGTON (PINA) — Pacific community leaders have gathered in Washington to share the successes of a coral reef restoration initiative which rehabilitates reefs while sustaining rural livelihoods.
The Coral Gardens Initiative of Counterpart International, with sites in Fiji and Solomon Islands, also aims to enhance the cultural heritage of coastal regions.
In Washington, environmental leaders, representatives from multi-lateral agencies and private foundations lauded the success of the Coral Gardens program in restoring reefs. The reefs in turn rejuvenate fisheries, and the local communities which feed of them.
The community-based initiative is developed by Counterpart and its Pacific partner, the Foundation for the Peoples of the South Pacific, Fiji. Coral Gardens methodologies provide the tools for conservation, fisheries restoration, and sustainable income generation.
“We have these resources on loan, and are the stewards that must carry them to future generations,” said Alisi Daurewa, executive director of the Foundation for the Peoples of the South Pacific, Fiji.
