From the 23rd to the 27th of February, community representatives from Navuniivi, Nayavuira, Nasau, Veidrala and Namuaimada participated in a 5-day Business Basics, Basic Seafood Safety to Post-Harvest Handling and Cooperative Development Training held in Navuniivi Village, Navitilevu in Ra.
The training was organized by the Women in Fisheries Network – Fiji in collaboration with ANZ Fiji, and the Department of Cooperatives under the Ministry of Commerce and Business Development. The training was aimed at strengthening participants practical knowledge in business planning to strengthen community-led enterprises and sustainable livelihoods, strengthening seafood safety practices, enhancing cooperative models consequently building resilient livelihoods for Fiji’s coastal communities.
This training is part of a series of trainings conducted by WiFN-Fiji with its members as part of a wider programme of leveraging the economic prowess of fisher women to strengthen the resilience of coastal communities. Seafood product development serves as a critical catalyst for the sustainable blue economy by transforming raw marine resources into high-value, shelf-stable goods, thereby reducing post-harvest losses and alleviating pressure on overexploited nearshore stocks. In the Pacific context, women are responsible for approximately 70% to 80% of the catch in nearshore fisheries, yet their contributions have historically been undervalued in formal economic statistics. By engaging in value-added processing such as the production of smoked fish, women transition from subsistence harvesters to active entrepreneurs in the blue economy.
WiFN-Fiji extends its appreciation to the Ra Provincial Council for its invaluable guidance and support, the Government of Canada – for funding this initiative through Alinea International, Ms. Ana Yavala and Mr. Thomas Tuimavana from ANZ Fiji, Ms. Lai Kolinivalu and Mr. Suneel Kumar from the Department of Cooperative Western Ministry of Commerce and Business Development, and our technical expert Ms. Sera Vaniqi of the The University of the South Pacific for the wide breadth of knowledge and skills they shared with the participants.
Slowly ferociously together.
