Vava'u Environmental Protection Association (VEPA)
Conservation – Education – Community – Future
Category: Latest News
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Team Member Updates…..
Over the last few months and without easy communication access and in between Covid lockdowns the VEPA team has continued to change! Over the coming months we hope to share more stories from the team and especially the work through their lives and words! My name is Talita and I’m 20 years of age. I…
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2021 in a very brief review…..
2021 was an intense year for the VEPA board and team, achieving many goals and highlights through the year. We know that vast challenges still lay ahead and that no one year will provide a solution however every small step taken is one step closer. We are as always very thankful to our funding and…
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Surveys for cultural and traditional knowledge on marine turtles
With the support of the SPREP led By-catch and Integrated Ecosystem Management (BIEM) Initiative, Tonga’s Ministry for the Environment (MEIDECC), Ministry of Fisheries and VEPA are working together to update and collect community information on the cultural uses and traditional knowledge on marine turtles in Tonga. Tonga has four known species of marine turtles: hawksbill, green,…
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Field Blog: Partnerships for community fisheries
Blog by Sesimani Loni, SMA Project Manager, Vava’u Ocean Initiative Fisheries is one vital part of food security for all human being and here in Tonga most people rely on fisheries for daily consumptions and income however due to depletion of marine resources, especially from our coastal waters. The Ministry of Fisheries and Government of…
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Youth Field Report: Monitoring Red List Ecosystems with Department of Environment and Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources.
The first in a series of reports from the youth team, as they learn and explore working in the field and office. Grateful as always to the assistance of Lisa Fanua, Susana Ika and Sesimani Loni for their efforts to guide and support the youth team. Malo lahi to Department of Environment and Ministry of…
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Field Notes: Hot sands and endangered species
Beaches are an ecological wonder, home to a wide variety of species that live within the beach or migrate to the beach as part of their lifecycle, yet beaches are facing increasing changes and environmental impacts from human uses, erosion, land development and climate change. These impacts are not only on the habitat but also…
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Coral Reef Monitoring: finding hope
In October, project activities included monitoring the coral reef habitats within the Vava’u Archipelago, with this the 5th consecutive year following on from the “Rapid Assessment of Biodiversity of Vava’u (BioRAP)” in 2014 through Government of Tonga and Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environmental Programme (SPREP). Coral reefs worldwide are under immense threats and pressures…
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S.E.A Program Coming Soon……
Under the Vava’u Ocean Initiative in partnership with the Waitt Institute and Ministry of Fisheries, we are excited and delighted for the upcoming launch of the Special Management Area (SMA) Environmental Ambassador Program (S.E.A). Special Management Areas (SMAs) are a community based fisheries program under the Ministry of Fisheries since 2002, which allows for communities…
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Thorn in our Side….
Well actually the thorns mostly hit our fingers and for many of us the memories of the week stay in the tingling tips of our fingers. What were we up to? Removing those nasty, spine heavy starfish called Crown of Thorns (COTS), (Acanthaster planci) or locally known as ‘Alamea. Did you know that COTS can…
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Part 1: Overview – Near-shore, Vava’u
Up until the 1990’s, ocean areas within Tonga were declared as open access for all Tongans, in the hopes of allowing everyone equal and fair sharing of its resources. Over the years this caused a serious downfall in the status and health of the marine habitats, fish and invertebrate resources, that the communities heavily rely…
Vava'u Environmental Protection Association (VEPA) 