The seasonal ban on the fishing of Coral Trout (Donu) and Grouper (Kawakawa) this year will run from June 1 to September.
The purpose of the seasonal ban is to protect the two species peak breeding months between June and September.
Minister for Fisheries, Semi Koroilavesau said the seasonal ban is important in ensuring the management of these two species whose numbers have been declining over the years.
“The Fijian government demonstrated decisive leadership when undertaking 17 voluntary commitments to contribute to the protection and sustainable management of our ocean at the 2017 United Nations Ocean Conference,” Koroilavesau said.
“One of these commitments was, of course, to seek to sustainably manage our grouper and coral trout resources by monitoring these fisheries, protecting spawning aggregation sites, as well as applying seasonal and spatial management measures.”
Minister for Fisheries Semi Koroilavesau
He also commended the support from communities and partnering agencies, calling for their continued support for the forthcoming seasonal ban.