Tabua taboo in place

Members of the public need to get a permit to take a whale’s tooth (tabua) while travelling to another country.

This was revealed yesterday in Labasa by the Permanent Secretary for Environment and Climate Change, Sivendra Michael.

He said Tabua was regulated in 2002.

“When members of the public choose not to apply for permit, they will be detained,” Mr Michael said.

“We need to respect Fiji and other countries’ jurisdiction.”

He said some people had been prosecuted for failing to follow the law.

He said the Fiji Revenue and Customs Service (FRCS) had the data on those who had been prosecuted.

“FRCS border control officers are authorised to prosecute,” he said.

To legally export or import a tabua, individuals must first get an approval letter from the Ministry of iTaukei Affairs, followed by an export/import permit from the Ministry of Environment.

The ministry enforced a strict monthly quota of 16 tabua for export.

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