Conservation of wetlands in Fiji: reconciling customary resource use with government regulation

The management of mangroves and freshwater wetlands in Fiji illustrates well the difficulties facing developing countries attempting to reconcile government prerogatives with the customary property rights to these resources. The management of natural systems requires a mix of local and national institutions for defining access to resources, and for governing the type and level of resource use. Although indigenous Fijians continue to assert customary rights of access to wetlands for subsistence purposes, the Fiji national government has assumed responsibility for regulating the management of these resources. But the institutional capacity of the national government to fulfil this role is limited. The establishment of a Mangrove Management Committee and the preparation of a national Mangrove Management Plan have not led to significant improvements in the conservation of Fiji's wetlands. Local government could provide the necessary institutional bridge for reconciling customary property rights to wetlands with government regulation of the use of these resources.