Fish poaching remains a concern for Kia islanders.

Despite numerous warnings from authorities, the illegal trend continues.

Previous calls for extra monitoring by the Police Waterpol team and the Ministry of Fisheries have been made, yet, poaching continues.

Yaro Village headman, Kumueli Lautiki, said the problem was severe because their customary fishing ground (qoliqoli) continued to be breached by poachers.

Daku and Ligau villages also face the same problem.

Mr Lautiki said night diving and fishing have negatively impacted their daily livelihood since the ocean resources remained their main source of income.

Source: WWF

Villagers have been forced to engage in night patrols, but this does not help much because these illegal boat operators and fishermen return the next night.

“We are concerned because relevant authorities are still not enforcing our plea to protect our fishing ground and concern for our marine environment,” he said.

“They are fishing our resources out and we are left watching as this happens on a regular basis.”

Excessive fishing within their qoliqoli could significantly reduce their fish stocks, prompting many villagers to migrate for employment to urban centres.

Daku villager Joana Finau, also raised similar concerns previously.

Ms Finau said more effort must be put in by relevant stakeholders to put an end to the daily problem.

Questions sent via email to the director for fisheries, to clarify this matter remained unanswered.

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