Tavarua Island Marine Reserve Endorsed to Safeguard Iconic Coral Reefs and Marine Life

May 27, 2025

Tavarua Island from the Reef’s Edge. Image: Chris Park

[TAVARUA, FIJI] The waters surrounding Tavarua Island are now officially protected, following the Fijian Government’s endorsement of the Tavarua Island Marine Reserve. The declaration is an inspiring step forward in the Pacific nation’s leadership in marine conservation.

The new protected area was officially designated under the Fijian Government’s Fisheries (Tavarua Island Marine Reserve) Regulations 2025, and extends 5.62 square kilometers. The reserve lies within the Vanua o Malolo customary fishing rights area (CFRA) in Nadroga/Navosa. 

At the launch of the reserve, Minister for Fisheries and Forestry Hon. Alitia Bainivalu MP said, “These regulations, enacted under the Fisheries Act 1941, establish clear protections for the marine reserve and buffer zone. They restrict harmful activities such as illegal fishing, harvesting of marine life, and unapproved coastal development.” 

While it covers a small percentage (0.5%) of the CFRA, it is an area of extraordinary ecological significance, and includes the largest known populations of giant clams in Fiji (Tridacna gigas, T. maxima/noae, T. derasa, T. squamosa and T. crocea), as well as over 200 species of coral and the many other species who call the reef home. These waters have also been a site of ongoing conservation work, including the introduction of Tridacna gigas broodstock in 2017, and the community-led efforts to monitor, steward, and safeguard the reef. 

“The Tavarua Island Marine Protected Area is proof that working together towards small changes can lead to big impact. We are grateful for the long term support of The Fijian Government, The Fisheries Department, the Tui Lawa, the local communities and the Tavarua Island Staff and Guests,” share Rick and Jamie Isbell, Tavarua Island Managing Directors and Hope Spot Champions. “Protected places help the entire ocean thrive.  We are proud that Fiji is taking meaningful action in a world too slow to make vital changes. Tavarua Island is now a legally protected Hope Spot, and it is our wish that the tiny country of Fiji will instill hope for oceans throughout the world.”  

This milestone announcement represents a renewed commitment to protect, restore, and celebrate Tavarua’s reef, and a promise it will remain vibrant for all who call it home, both above and below the surface.