Vava'u Environmental Protection Association (VEPA)
Conservation – Education – Community – Future
Archives
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…
Read MoreField 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…
Read MoreYouth 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…
Read MoreCoral 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…
Read MoreNews from the field:
Here it is the launch of our new series “News from the field” which highlights our findings from surveys and projects. More detailed information will be posted to our latest news. Let’s make 2019 one of shared experiences and knowledge….
Read MoreReducing the Plastic Footprint in Vava’u Communities
INTRODUCTION The Vava’u Environmental Protection Association (VEPA) is a NGO based in Neiafu, Vava’u dedicated to the conservation of biodiversity, increasing community knowledge of environmental issues and securing sustainable livelihoods for future generations. VEPA operates a range of terrestrial and…
Read MorePart 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…
Read MoreBeyond the Reef: Ocean Areas
Malo e lelei we are excited to introduce a new Ocean themed awareness campaign that will be soothing the radio waves over the next few months as well as being posted on bogs and websites. In order to ensure the…
Read MoreCultural Food Preperation
Coastal fisheries are critically important to community livelihoods and reef habitat health. Programs such as community managed reefs (SMAs) are being developed to provide benefits to both biodiversity and livelihoods. In Tonga, many communities still practice traditional food preservation methods;…
Read MoreExploring the marine resources of Tonga
In May of 2017, a team of international and national marine researchers joined together on board the Yacht Plan b, through the Waitt Institute, to survey the near-shore marine habitats of Ha’apai and Vava’u for the Vava’u Ocean Initiative. The…
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