The 4 month ban factsheet

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Photo Courtesy of Paul McKenzie
The 4-Month Ban on All Species
of Grouper (Kawakawa) and
Coral Trout (Donu) Factsheet
The Fiji Government has banned the fishing, sale and export of all species of
Grouper (kawakawa) and Coral Trout (donu) during their peak spawning months,
from the 6th of June through to the 30th of September, 2018, to help revive these
rapidly declining fish species.
Any person or business found selling kawakawa and donu during the 4-month ban period can have their fish
confiscated and could receive high fines:
• For individuals, an instant fine of $10,000, with the potential of up to $50,000 in fines.
• For corporations, an instant fine of $20,000, with the potential of up to $100,000 in fines.
The level of the fine can depend on the severity of the offense and will be determined by the Fiji Court System.
Why is the Ban Needed?
Kawakawa and donu are A-grade fish that are critical
food and income for Fijians. But these fisheries are
facing collapse, if no management action is taken.
The ban is intended to ensure the fish species are
allowed to successfully breed each year, so the
stocks recover. Because if we let them breed each
year, we can have more fish the rest of the year.
IT’S SIMPLE
MATH
Eat this before it breeds,
means no sh tomorrow.
Eat this sh after it breeds,
means more sh tomorrow.

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4 Month Ban on Kawakawa & Donu FAQ
Why These Fish?
Kawakawa and donu breed each year, in large numbers, in the same places. These breeding sites were traditionally
fished, but as the population and income needs in Fiji have increased, these breeding sites are being heavily overfished,
leaving too few fish to restock Fiji’s fishing grounds.
According to the Fiji Ministry of Fisheries, more than 80 per cent of Fiji’s known kawakawa and donu breeding sites are
either declining or have been lost. One study found fish landings of kawakawa have declined 70 percent over 30 years,
with some areas of Fiji hardly catching the prized fish anymore. Fishermen interviews tell the same story: These fish
are harder and harder to catch in our fishing grounds. We are losing these prized fish at alarming rates.
Of 22 breeding sites surveyed in
2003:
DECLINING
SITES
73%
DEAD SITES
18%
9%
HEALTHY SITES
FIJI SAW A 70% DECLINE IN THE
CATCH OF GROUPER OVER THE
PAST 30 YEARS.
1970s
2000s
What Species are Banned?
There is a total of 27 species of fish that fall under kawakawa (grouper) and donu (coral trout). The fishing, sale and
export (and associated activities such as transport) of all 27 species are banned under the Public Notice. The six most
common kawakawa and donu typically caught are:
NAME: Brown Marbled Grouper
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Epinephelus fuscoguttatus
FIJIAN NAME: Delabulewa
NAME: Camouflage Grouper
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Epinephelus polyphekadion
FIJIAN NAME: Kawakawa dina
Kasala, Kerakera
NAME: Blacksaddle Coral Grouper
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Plectropomus laevis
FIJIAN NAME: Lava
NAME: Squaretail Grouper
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Plectropomus areolatus
FIJIAN NAME: Batisai
NAME: Leopard Coral grouper
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Plectropomus leopardus
FIJIAN NAME: Donu, Drodroua
NAME: Blue Rock Cod
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Epinephelus cyanopodus
FIJIAN NAME: Revua
The fish paintings used in this publication have been reproduced with the kind permission of the Pacific Community, Noumea, New Caledonia. All fish illustrations by Les Hata.
For a full list of the 27 fish, please see the companion Kawakawa and Donu Fish Buyers Guide and poster developed for
fishermen, sellers and exporters in Fiji.
When Was the Ban Enacted?
The Fiji Government announced in June 2017 its intention to impose
a seasonal ban on the fishing, sale and export of kawakawa and
donu at the United Nations Ocean Conference. The ban was officially
enacted on June 6, 2018, through a Public Notice from the Ministry of
Fisheries, after repeated public announcements in Fiji over the past
year.
The Public Notice gave a short grace period to allow each seller to
sell any existing stock by June 11. After that day, any remaining stock
from before June 6 had to be weighed, frozen, and labelled, and then
could not be sold until after 30th September. The seller also needed
to inform fisheries of what remaining stock they had, in writing, and
make it available for inspection.
Ministry of Fisheries
Takayawa Building
360 Toorak Road, P.O.Box 13026, Suva
Telephone: (679) 3301011/3318691/3318693 Fax: (679) 3318692/3300435
__________________________________________________________________________________
6 June 2018
PUBLIC NOTICE
Ban on fishing, collection, sales and export of ALL SPECIES of Grouper
(Kawakawa) and Coral Trout (Donu).
Following the Hon Minister of Fisheries media release on the 4th of June, 2018
regarding the intended seasonal ban for all species of grouper (Kawakawa) and
coral trout (Donu) to protect these fish species during their peak breeding
seasons; the public is hereby informed that the Ministry is putting in place the
following measures:
1. All fishing, collection, sales, and exports of Kawakawa and Donu are
prohibited, subject to the following conditions.
2. Stocks held prior to the commencement of this notice may be sold locally
until 11 pm on Monday 11th June 2018.
3. All fish the subject of this notice that were caught prior to this notice
coming into effect and that are being held for sale must be either sold by
close of business 11th June, or frozen. All frozen fish the subject of this
notice that remain unsold must be bagged and labelled with the name of
the fisherman or vendor, and the date it was received, and must be stored
and must not be sold for the period of this notice.
4. The quantity of any frozen fish retained under paragraph 3 for future sale
must be notified in writing to the Ministry of Fisheries divisional fisheries
office by 15th June 2018, and made available for inspection.
5. There shall be no transportation of fish the subject of this notice permitted
between local markets (e.g. from Vanua Levu to Viti Levu).

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4 Month Ban on Kawakawa & Donu FAQ
How Did the Ministry of Fisheries Ban these Fish?
The Public Notice was issued under Regulation 4 of the Offshore Fisheries Management Regulations 2014 (OFMR).
The OFMR states that the Ministry of Fisheries can establish species and seasonal closures as necessary to protect
the food security and livelihoods of Fiji citizens. The power to seize and fine individuals and companies for violations is
established under the Offshore Fisheries Management Act, under which the OFMR are enacted.
How Long is the Ban?
The kawakawa and donu peak breading months are June through September, so the ban is designed to ensure these
fish breed and restock our reefs. The ban officially started on 6 June, per the Public Notice, and will run through 30
September. The ban is just a little longer than a traditional 100-night tabu placed on marine resources following the
death of a chief in Fiji.
Can I Still Catch Kawakawa And Donu For Food?
No. The ban covers fishing, selling and exporting. The key target for the Ministry of Fisheries is the harvest and
commercial sale of kawakawa and donu during the peak breeding months but the ban applies across all forms of
fishing and the Ministry of Fisheries strongly encourages ALL fishermen to comply.
What if I catch one by mistake?
If you accidentally catch a kawakawa or donu, you should let it go. Because that fish can bring you far more fish in
years to come, if it gets to breed before you eat it.
The reason these fish are declining so rapidly is because fishermen target their breeding sites. The good news is that
fishermen are well aware of where the fish breed and can easily avoid the channels where they typically are breeding.
In other words, fishing in a breeding site is not an accident and is absolutely banned.
And it’s important to note, anyone attempting to sell accidental catches of kawakawa and donu can be prosecuted and
heavily fined.
What are the Bene ts of this Ban? More food, more money
The ban is about getting more food on our plate, and more money in our pockets. It’s important to acknowledge that
fishers are having a harder and harder time making a living in Fiji as fishing grounds become more and more depleted.
They spend long hours in the water, catching less, and making less money than before. This ban will help increase
the fish stocks of one of the most valuable fish, which means our fishermen can in turn earn more money and better
provide for their families. That’s the benefit of the ban.
The future of fishing in Fiji will be about ensuring fishermen get the maximum amount of fish from Fiji’s fishing
grounds and can make more money on each fish. That will mean fishing smarter, and for kawakawa and donu, that
means making sure they breed each year.
Enforcing the Ban
The Ministry of Fisheries has been quietly improving its capacity to better address illegal fishing in Fiji. In the past
year and a half, the Fiji Government created a stand-alone ministry to ensure Fiji maximizes its marine resources to
support livelihoods and protects the country’s food security. The new Ministry of Fisheries has also created an Inshore
Fisheries Management Division to better equip itself to manage fish stocks and in turn, start increasing its compliance
capacity.

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4 Month Ban on Kawakawa & Donu FAQ
As the Ministry of Fisheries gears up to enforce the kawakawa and donu seasonal ban, it has an unprecedented
coalition to do it. The town councils, which manage the fish markets across the country, have all pledged to work
with the Ministry of Fisheries to support the enforcement of the ban. In addition, the Fiji Police Department has made
similar high-level pledges to work through its community posts to inform the public and help enforce the ban. The Fiji
Revenue and Customs Service is also committed to supporting the enforcement of the ban on exporters and the Fiji
Navy will support the ban through targeted patrols.
What can I do if I see someone selling kawakawa and donu?
The Ministry of Fisheries will need everyone’s support to effectively enforce the kawakawa and donu seasonal ban.
Right now, the town councils, the Fiji Police Department, Fiji Revenue and Customs Service and Fiji Navy are stepping
up. But everyone can help, including fishermen, middlemen, market sellers, and consumers. We need to spread the
word that the ban is in place. Let’s give people a chance to do the right thing.
And where we see it being sold, we can report it to the Ministry of Fisheries by calling:
• Nausori Fisheries Office: 3476587/9966752
• Lami Fisheries Office: 3361122/9966745
• Lautoka Fisheries Office: 6665899/9966759
• Labasa Fisheries Office: 8812833/9966770
You can also help by photographing any kawakawa and donu on sale and sharing it on the campaign Facebook page
(www.facebook.com/4fjmovement). Please note the location, seller if possible, and time of day to help document the
incident for the Ministry of Fisheries.
Has the Public Been Adequately Informed of the Ban?
The 4FJ campaign, created by the non-profit cChange Pacific to support the Ministry of Fisheries, was launched in 2014
to raise awareness on the decline of these critical fish. Since 2014, it has been actively conducting outreach, through
extensive media outreach, community visits, forums and through a diverse coalition of partners, including government
ministries, traditional leaders, churches, town councils, the police, NGOs and scores of passionate individuals who
have taken the message to their networks.
Over the past year, the Ministry of Fisheries and cChange have also conducted an extensive private sector outreach
program to visit all fish sellers to inform them of the coming ban.
There is no environmental campaign in Fiji that has been as successful in engaging the public.
One measure of success is the voluntary pledges the campaign has received from people willing to forego eating these
fish during their peak breeding months, what it called the 4FJ Pledge. The campaign has received more than 15,000
4FJ pledges from people across the country, from all walks of life. There have also been high profile pledges from
individuals and businesses, including, of note, Hon Prime Minister Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama, and sports figures
such as rugby legend Waisale Serevi, and two national supermarket chains, Morris Hedstrom and Newworld IGA.
Through interviews and surveys, cChange has also found fishermen and fish sellers, not to mention the general public,
are aware of the 4FJ campaign and the decline of kawakawa and donu. In fact, we found in one survey conducted in the
Suva-Nausori corridor that 93 percent of the public supported the 4-month ban.
For more information, visit www.4fjmovement.org or call the Ministry of Fisheries:
• Nausori Fisheries Office: 3476587/9966745
• Lami Fisheries Office: 3361122/9966752
• Lautoka Fisheries Office: 6665899/9966759
• Labasa Fisheries Office: 8812833/9966770