What We Do
The Great Sea Reef
Much of WWF’s work in the South Pacific is focussed on protecting the Great Sea Reef, an area of globally significant biodiversity. The reef, locally known as Cakaulevu, is located to the north of Vanua Levu and provides important fishing grounds for 12 districts with a population of around 70,000 people. Together with Pascoe Reef, it is the third longest reef in the southern hemisphere, stretching over 200 km.
The reef supports a spectacular diversity of fish and coral species representing 74% of coral species and a predicted 80% of reef fishes found in Fiji. A number of threatened species reside in the reef including the green turtle, spinner dolphin, bumphead parrotfish, and the manta ray.
Shared ocean, shared responsibility
WWF has been present in the South Pacific since 1995, working towards fostering strategic, community sensitive and long lasting equitable partnerships. Collaborating with Pacific Island NGO’s, government agencies and communities is an integral factor in WWF South Pacific’s success.
WWF South Pacific has further embarked on a new era of partnerships with corporate entities to begin a new movement towards a green economy in Fiji and the wider South Pacific.
Driven by a multicultural locally based team, with an array of expertise and skill WWF South Pacific strives to enhance and achieve programme goals through awareness, research, field based activities, policy, advocacy and local capacity building.
Our philosophy
WWF South Pacific strongly advocates and practices the ecosystem based management approaches to its conservation work, ensuring issues are not addressed in isolation but as a bigger array of interactions within an ecosystem, including humans.
As one of the pioneers of this approach in the Pacific, WWF was one of the first conservation organisations in the regions to undertake the process on a large scale in a concerted attempt to protect the Great Sea Reef.
WWF South Pacific continues to work towards protecting the Pacific’s biodiversity and placing emphasis on reducing the human footprint on nature.
Programmes
Coastal Management and Inshore Fisheries
The southern hemisphere's third longest barrier reef – the Great Sea Reef - is in Fiji. WWF South Pacific works with communities using the ecosystem based management approach towards protecting this wealth of biodiversity.Marine Species
Six out of the seven species of the world’s marine turtles are found in the Pacific Ocean. WWF South Pacific works towards protecting this cultural icon and other exploited marine species.Offshore Fisheries
The Western and Central Pacific Ocean is considered the last frontier for tuna fisheries that include albacore, skipjack, bigeye and yellowfin tuna.WWF South Pacific works towards ensuring the sustainability of Pacific Tuna.Climate Change Adaptation
Pacific Islands are frontline communities to the effects of climate change. WWF South Pacific works with local resource managers and communities to build resilience, and advocate for biodiversity protection and adaptation investment in the Pacific.Better Sugar Deal
One in four people in Fiji rely on the sugar industry for their livelihoods. WWF South Pacific is working to improve yield, livelihoods and business to reduce the sugar industry’s footprint on biodiversity.
