Conservation and Management of the Endangered Fiji Sago Palm, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Metroxylon vitiense</Emphasis>, in Fiji |
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Authors: | Email author" target="_blank">Clare?MorrisonEmail author Isaac?Rounds Dick?Watling |
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Institution: | (1) International Centre for Ecotourism Research, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD 4222, Australia;(2) Conservation International, 3 Ma’afu St, Suva, Fiji;(3) NatureFiji-MareqetiViti, P.O. Box 2041, Government Buildings, Suva, Fiji |
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Abstract: | Recovery planning is a key component of many threatened species conservation initiatives and can be a powerful awareness raising
tool. One of the largest impediments to conservation efforts in the Pacific region however, is the lack of ecological data
and its subsequent effects on the development of feasible and useful recovery plans for threatened species. Without these
plans, the understaffed, underfunded and often technically ill-equipped conservation agencies face huge difficulties in planning,
prioritizing and conducting conservation activities to adequately protect biodiversity. The Fiji sago palm, Metroxylon vitiense, is an endemic endangered palm species whose survival is heavily dependent on a feasible species recovery plan. It is geographically
restricted and threatened by habitat destruction and overexploitation for thatch for the tourism industry and palm heart consumption
by local consumers. Despite its threatened status, M. vitiense is not currently protected by national or international legislation. Recent field surveys and extensive stakeholder consultation
have resulted in the production of a species recovery plan highlighting the importance of the species and advocating sustainable
harvesting rather than complete bans to promote conservation. This article summarizes the recovery plan and its current effects
on the status of M. vitiense in Fiji. We also discuss the role of different stakeholders in the conservation of M. vitiense, including the absence of significant behavioral changes by the largest consumer - the tourism industry, and the importance
of recovery plans for biodiversity conservation in the Pacific. |
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