Victor Bonito is a coral reef ecologist and founder of Reef Explorer, a Fiji-based research and development company established to support community-based marine conservation efforts in Fiji.
“Since 2005, I have been working hand-in-hand with the Vanua Davutukia (the native resource owners of the district) to better manage and restore marine resources in their traditional fishing ground. I think it is important that we all remember that we are custodians of natural resources for the generations to come – we must act with them and their future in mind.”
Love from the Coral Coast
Active in coral reef research and conservation efforts around the world for over 22 years, Victor has a broad knowledge of coral reef ecosystems and a wealth of experience working with a broad spectrum of stakeholders on resource management issues.
Hand in hand
Working to protect the Coral Coast’s spectacular reef ecosystem, Victor knows that the future depends on a clean and healthy ocean, where protection and sustainable use go hand in hand.
Blue Investment
Through the Investing in Coral Reefs and the Blue Economy (ICRBE) programme, funded by the Global Fund for Coral Reefs (GFCR) and the Joint SDG Fund, support is being channelled to the district of Korolevu-i-wai.
The programme supports the customary fishing rights owners for the Korolevu-i-Wai/Koro-i-Nasau qoliqoli (community) to operate coral-reef-associated ecotourism attractions and activities to generate revenue to support the effective management, conservation, and sustainable use of the Korolevu-i-wai/Koro-i-Nasau Locally Managed Marine Area (KiW/KiN LMMA), as well as help support the communal development needs of the community while also offering them economic opportunities.
Namada, where Victor lives and works, is one of four traditional villages in the Korolevu-i-Wai District that will benefit from the programme’s interventions.
Collective Action for the Ocean
Launched in early 2021, the ICRBE's joint programme leverages philanthropic and development finance to mobilize commercial investments, promote the financial sustainability of coral reef conservation, and accelerate reef-positive livelihoods.
Representing the best of collective action for the ocean, the programme is working to leverage US$50M in investment capital by 2030.
This joint programme is a collaboration with partners that include UN agencies (UNDP, UNCDF, UNEP), Matanataki, Blue Finance, Fijian local actors, and the Government of Fiji.
The ocean connects, sustains, and supports us all.
Yet its health is at a tipping point and so is the well-being of all that depends on it.
As the past years have shown us, we need to work together to create a new balance with the ocean that no longer depletes its bounty but instead restores its vibrancy and brings it new life.
Namada Desiderata
In Namada, the ICRBE project accomplishments will be measured by real-world improvements to coral reefs and marine environments; these achievements are buoyed by a series of terrestrial financial innovations.
“As a coral ecologist and conservation practitioner, celebrating, protecting, and restoring Fiji’s marine resources are all part of my daily activities. The coral reef and surrounding environment is the backbone of our local economy where I live on the Coral Coast, and is also critical to the food security of our local community.” - Victor Bonito
Partnerships for coral
For Orisi Seniucudromo, the ICRBE programme is more than a financial abstraction.
As he approaches 50 years of residence in Namada village, his parents and children are just part of the extended familial relationship he has with the region and its environment.
“I often tell the villages and everyone I talk to that humans are part of the ecosystem and as such we should treat plants and animal species as part of our family. It’s bringing the relationship of people and the environment to this perspective that really convinces a lot of people in my opinion and experience”.
Orisi's commitment to the community and its environment is carried out through work for local NGOs and the area’s committee of elders.
Marine conservation efforts have been ongoing in the Korolevu-i-wai district since 2002. Orisi reflects on how they continue to generate tangible results for the community:
“with the Marine Protected Areas in place and the conservation efforts over the years, we have seen the coral reef growing healthy again and there is plentiful of fish available in the sea and for consumption”.
Working to amplify and support these efforts, the ICRBE programme aims to provide finance to help unlock additional revenue from ecotourism.
For Orisi, these efforts are not solely about restoring previous damage to reefs and marine ecosystems, they are a means of being a good ancestor:
“We need to always have our next generation at the back of our mind when we do developments and in our normal daily life when interacting with our ecosystem”.
For more information on the project, visit here.
For more information on UNDP Pacific Office, visit here.
Footnotes
Text by: Andrea Egan, Vatimosi Delailovu, and Vineil Narayan. Header photo: Victor Bonito (L) Photo: Reef Explorer Fiji
Originally published by UNDP Nature.
Note:
All joint programs of the Joint SDG Fund are led by UN Resident Coordinators and implemented by the agencies, funds and programmes of the United Nations development system. With sincere appreciation for the contributions from the European Union and Governments of Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and our private sector funding partners, for a transformative movement towards achieving the SDGs by 2030.
