Hello Children of Fiji, people disappoint us so much. Do you know the song: Well, everybody hurts sometimes, everybody cries and everybody hurts sometimesAnd everybody hurts sometimes So, hold on, hold onhold on, hold on hold on, hold on hold on, hold on(everybody hurts you are not alone.
Read paragraph two of this article - they were going to give a cooked turtle to environment guys! Turtle ‘escapes' village feast Wednesday, June 10, 2009
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Votua villagers released a turtle into open sea In the true spirit of Environment Week, villagers of Votua in Ba and Environment Department officials released a turtle into the sea on Thursday.
The turtle was captured by the villagers to prepare a feast for officials marking Environment Week celebrations.
Environment representative Luisa Tacenisa said once the officials came to know that the turtle would be slaughtered, the villagers were asked to instead release it into the ocean. "The turaga-ni-koro (headman) of Votua Village and officials let the turtle go," she said.
"The gesture by the villagers showed their commitment to protecting the environment and the species that live in it."
In April this year, villagers in the Mamanuca Group got involved in the initiative to save turtles, breeding them in a natural pool and once grown, releasing them into the open sea.
This was after a 2007 survey showed that more than 100 turtles were harvested within the year for funeral and wedding feasts and a number of church functions. The turtles were caught despite a ban on turtle killings widely publicised by the Fisheries Department about which villagers had been informed.
Villagers said they were under the impression that they were free to continue to kill turtles for use in traditional ceremonies.
However, they could not make a clear distinction between what were traditional ceremonies and those which were not because indigenous Fijian ceremonies had become fused with church activities and other rituals.
Anonymous And also in a letter to the editor of the Fiji Times.... Turtle freedom
On Friday June 5, a water project at the village of Vatusekiyasawa, Rakiraki was completed.
This water project was sponsored by the Rotary Pacific Water for Life Foundation and as part of their thanksgiving presentation, a live turtle was presented to the sponsors and staff of the foundation.
This was accepted and it was explained to the villagers that while we were truly touched to receive such a gift, we would be returning it to the sea as the villagers were about to kill the turtle and cook it for us.
However, as it was nearly two days since its capture and it was Saturday evening, it was decided it would be better to bring it back to Suva to decide where to release it.
On Sunday June 7, a group of young children helped to put the turtle back into the sea at Pacific Harbour as the children were afraid that if it was released in Suva it would be caught by the many fishermen's nets they saw daily at Nasese.
This was indeed a lesson that children are very much aware that turtles should not be caught and eaten.
A lesson was also given in protecting the environment to preserve this for their future.
There is hope when children understand the importance of such gestures.
Turtles are such gentle creatures, they're cute especially when tears roll down their eyes when about to be 'lovo'(ed. Thats the saddest part.
ReplyDeleteHello Children of Fiji, people disappoint us so much. Do you know the song:
ReplyDeleteWell, everybody hurts sometimes, everybody cries and everybody hurts sometimesAnd everybody hurts sometimes So, hold on, hold onhold on, hold on hold on, hold on hold on, hold on(everybody hurts you are not alone.
Read paragraph two of this article - they were going to give a cooked turtle to environment guys!
ReplyDeleteTurtle ‘escapes' village feast
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
+ Enlarge this image
Votua villagers released a turtle into open sea
In the true spirit of Environment Week, villagers of Votua in Ba and Environment Department officials released a turtle into the sea on Thursday.
The turtle was captured by the villagers to prepare a feast for officials marking Environment Week celebrations.
Environment representative Luisa Tacenisa said once the officials came to know that the turtle would be slaughtered, the villagers were asked to instead release it into the ocean. "The turaga-ni-koro (headman) of Votua Village and officials let the turtle go," she said.
"The gesture by the villagers showed their commitment to protecting the environment and the species that live in it."
In April this year, villagers in the Mamanuca Group got involved in the initiative to save turtles, breeding them in a natural pool and once grown, releasing them into the open sea.
This was after a 2007 survey showed that more than 100 turtles were harvested within the year for funeral and wedding feasts and a number of church functions. The turtles were caught despite a ban on turtle killings widely publicised by the Fisheries Department about which villagers had been informed.
Villagers said they were under the impression that they were free to continue to kill turtles for use in traditional ceremonies.
However, they could not make a clear distinction between what were traditional ceremonies and those which were not because indigenous Fijian ceremonies had become fused with church activities and other rituals.
Anonymous
ReplyDeleteAnd also in a letter to the editor of the Fiji Times....
Turtle freedom
On Friday June 5, a water project at the village of Vatusekiyasawa, Rakiraki was completed.
This water project was sponsored by the Rotary Pacific Water for Life Foundation and as part of their thanksgiving presentation, a live turtle was presented to the sponsors and staff of the foundation.
This was accepted and it was explained to the villagers that while we were truly touched to receive such a gift, we would be returning it to the sea as the villagers were about to kill the turtle and cook it for us.
However, as it was nearly two days since its capture and it was Saturday evening, it was decided it would be better to bring it back to Suva to decide where to release it.
On Sunday June 7, a group of young children helped to put the turtle back into the sea at Pacific Harbour as the children were afraid that if it was released in Suva it would be caught by the many fishermen's nets they saw daily at Nasese.
This was indeed a lesson that children are very much aware that turtles should not be caught and eaten.
A lesson was also given in protecting the environment to preserve this for their future.
There is hope when children understand the importance of such gestures.
Resina Koroi
Rotary Pacific Water for Life
Nice illustration. :)
ReplyDeleteSo, I do not really believe it will have effect.
ReplyDelete