Company: Shangri-La Fijian Resort and Spa
Country: Fiji Islands
Project Name: Coral Gardens-Living Reefs Project
Category: Environment
Website:
Objectives:
The project aimed to do the following:
i.create an information center: “The Living Reefs Conservation Centre”
ii.create awareness on marine conservation among schools and the surrounding communities
iii.create a partnership with the environmental club of the Cuvu District Primary School
iv.create environmental awareness among the guests and staff
v.establish a partnership with groups sharing similar interests
vi.establish a trust fund that would support community development projects
Details of the project:
The Shangri-La Fijian Resort and Spa hosted and supported the Coral Gardens-Living Reefs Project. Corals for Conservation, a non-profit entity, was developing the marine conservation program in partnership with the resort. The Marine Centre, on the other hand, created awareness on corals and coral reefs among the guests and communities in Fiji, and raised funds to support the community development projects.
In 2003, Counterpart International and a local not-for-profit organization, “Partners in Community Development Fiji (PCDF), with funding from the Shangri-la Fijian Resort and Spa, conducted a series of community workshops within the Cuvu District. This resulted in three marine-protected areas, a coastal restoration project, the implementation of eight village management plans, capacity building workshops, and the setting up of a Cuvu Environment Committee. However, this was dissolved when funding was withdrawn. In October 2008 the project was again revived, with PCDF as the community liaison for the resort. With newly approved funding, a series of awareness and consultation visits to the 12 communities within the Cuvu District became possible, inclusive of five schools. The activity touched 1200 people in 12 days. Through these visits, as well, PCDF was able to collate feedback on issues related to waste management, marine protected areas, the roles and responsibilities of fish wardens and traditional fishermen. Through the consultation process, updates on management plans were gathered, while recommendations from community members, the High Chief, and provincial representatives were taken forward to appropriate stakeholders.
The Coral Gardens-Living Reefs Program was enhanced through the development of the marine center on the island property and the recruitment of a Marine Program staff to oversee the development of the conservation program. The Center had been set up on the recommendation of the Prominent High Chief of Nadroga following consultations in late 2008. When a presentation was made to the Board of Directors of the Fijian Resort, they had been so delighted with its progress that they approved all the recommendations.
The Shangri-La Fijian Resort and Spa was proud to be proactive in its eco-campaigns. Earth Month was celebrated by planting a plot of Vesi, an endemic species. Environment Week saw the staff enjoy an in-house environmental trivia contest. To further in-house environmental awareness, different departments went on different slots to visit the newly developed marine centre. Clean-up campaigns were conducted regularly, for which guests and staff were encouraged to participate voluntarily. Students of the Cuvu District Primary School, through their environmental club, actively joined in the Coral Gardens Program which entailed planting corals, building fish houses, and assisting in establishing climate change adaptation test sites to find out which corals were resilient to warmer waters, in light of the fact that climate change was a threat to coral health.
The program was about connecting tourism, community and conservation in the sense that it allowed guests such experiences as building fish houses.
Through the Center, Fijian Resort and Spa continued to give financial, administrative and logistical support to the project.