Mudcrab Education and Awareness Workshops
Two day workshops on Mudcrab Education and Awareness Workshops were run by WiFN-Fiji and Fiji Locally Managed Marine Area (FLMMA) in the provinces of Ba and Tailevu.
The workshop was also an opportunity to gather additional information to complement the findings of the Capacity Needs Assessment in Mud Crab Fishery project that WiFN-Fiji and FLMMA conducted earlier in 2016.
Focus group discussions were highly participatory and informative and results also qualified and confirmed some findings from the Capacity Needs Assessment in Mud Crab Fishery survey.
Some information collected during participatory discussions included:
- ownership of fishing grounds
- protocols, channels and practices in various districts/ tikina in the province that hinder fishing and access to services.
- the current status of fishing grounds
- issues affecting the environment
- identify those responsible for destructive actions on fishing grounds
- fishing policy enforcement in the respective areas
- lack of participation of women in decision making groups at all community levels
Apart from the discussions and personal accounts of individual experiences, the workshop included lectures, group discussions and group activities on topics such as mud crab biology, recording of changes in mud crab environment and ways to preserve it, markets, regulations and alternative projects to support family income.
Please see the Mudcrab educational video.