By Marc ‘Ake*
NUKU’ALOFA, Tonga | 12 July 2024 (IDN | Wansolwara) — With Climate Change and overfishing amongst the biggest contributions to the degradation of the marine environment in Tonga, the government has cracked down on overfishing by devising certain timeframes in the year for the fishing and harvest of certain endangered marine species.There are also marine protected areas and fines in place for offenders.
The Kingdom of Tonga, a constitutional monarchy, consists of more than 150 islands divided in three island groups—the kingdom is over 99% ocean and seabed. Under the United Nations Convention On Law of the Sea (UNCOLS), its maritime jurisdiction extends over 700,000 sq km, with only 747 sq km of land.
The sheer maritime space available for a relatively small population makes fishing an obvious daily occupation for many Tongans, including for food. Like for other Pacific Island countries and territories, fishing is an important part of Tongan culture and lifestyles, and fish is often depleted around urban areas where most of the population lives. The total population is just over 100,000 people, all of whom live within 5 kilometres from the coast, with 84% living within 1 km from the coast.
Brian Fusimalohi, a Tongan marine science student at the University of the South Pacific (USP) in Fiji believes that there are ways of minimizing the impacts of the climate crisis and the exploitation of the marine. He argues that people can take a page from their ancestor’s book, such as sustainable fishing methods.
The effect of climate change
The effects of climate change have caused economic disruptions on the country as they lose up to 14% of GDP every year a disaster occurs.
Climate Change has increased seawater levels, temperature and precipitation which contributes to coastal erosion, flooding and coral bleaching to name a few. While overfishing has disrupted habitats and ecosystems in the ocean which is a source of sustenance and income for Tongans.
The ocean absorbs 25% of all CO2 emissions and more than 90% of surplus heat from humans—and overfishing hinders the ocean and its inhabitants from performing this important role in climate change. As such, addressing climate change includes dealing with overfishing issues as well.
Fusimalohi, who has worked at the Ministry of Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Environment, Climate Change and Communication (MEIDECC) department of environment for several years, notes that traditionally Tongans had a deep relationship with the earth and perceived it like a parent figure since it provided for their needs, and they have a responsibility to return the favour.
“The earth, the ocean, the skies these beliefs that came from our forefathers should still be in our hearts and our actions today. Even though we are apex predators, we still have a task which is to care for the environment like as it has cared for us,” he says.
Special Management Area (SMA) program
In 2002 and 2009, Tonga passed new fishery legislation that reformed access to marine resources for local fishers (particularly in lagoons and reef areas) with the introduction of its own community-based fishery management approach, known as the Special Management Area (SMA) program.
The SMA program and supporting legislation allow coastal communities and local fishers, with assistance from the Ministry of Fisheries, to regulate adjacent marine areas through local fishery management plans that grant preferential access and assign stewardship duties to community members.
“The SMA program is the most significant advancement in Tongan coastal fisheries legislation in recent years. Tonga addresses most of the core provisions of the SSF Guidelines either through fishery legislation or policy, but there could be more clarity and specificity to small-scale fisheries”, said authors of the book ‘Implementation of the Small-Scale Fisheries Guidelines’ published by Springer Cham[1] this year.
Fusimalohi explained that during the time of his ancestors, resources were not exploited but rather used by early Tongans for survival and according to their needs. This meant that fishing practices were more sustainable and eco-friendly.
For instance, one traditional fishing method is ‘makafeke’ which is a device that is used to catch octopus.
This method was sustainable because the device could only be used once and for one octopus which meant you can only fish for octopus according to the resources you had to make a makafeke.
Now in modern society there are profit motives in fishing which has encouraged overfishing and unsustainable fishing methods such as spearguns that can deplete octopi populations within a reef in a few days.
Fusimalohi said that there are other ways to participate in environmental conservation like raising awareness on ocean issues, advocating for policy changes, volunteering at local conservation projects and adopting sustainable lifestyles.
A young local activist, Ann Mary Raduva also believes that ancestral practices could mitigate the impacts of climate change and overfishing.
She says that tackling climate change issues include traditional generational knowledge.“Passing on ideas and perspectives to their generation such as Agro-forestry and Agriculture, horticulture and aquaculture,” she adds.
The third most vulnerable country to natural disasters
Tonga was listed as the third most vulnerable country to natural disasters in 2021 by the World Risk Report. “Since the record-breaking volcanic eruption a year ago, which triggered up to 15m tsunami waves that gutted entire villages, the Government is building higher and higher sea walls to keep the ocean out” the report noted[2].
As climate change continues to become more and more imminent, the youth are encouraged to take a stand to ensure a sustainable future.
“If not now then when, if not who then who will…it’s us, it’s everyone’s responsibility by engaging in things that will help mitigate climate change in the future and the challengers makes us stronger to build a better world in the future,” says Tonga National Youth Leader, Vahefonua Tupola.
* Marc ‘Ake is a journalism student at the University of the South Pacific in Fiji. This story has been transmitted by IDN-In Depth News under arrangements with the University of the South Pacific students’ newspaper Wansolwara. [IDN-InDepthNrews]
Photo: Fish pens made by the locals to catch fish in Tonga. Source: Asian Development Bank
[1] https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-56716-2_20
[2] https://thecommonwealth.org/news/blog-tonga-frontline-sea-level-rise