The Ministry of Fisheries has stated that around 80% of the country’s known Kawakawa and Donu breeding grounds are rapidly declining or have died out.

The Ministry say that Kawakawa and Donu are most vulnerable during spawning because they gather at the same time and at the same spots each year to breed.

In Fiji, the peak breeding months for these fish species are June through September.

To address this, the ministry issued a public notice on 6th of this month announcing a legal ban on the collection, sale and exportation of Kawakawa and Donu during their peak breeding months.

Fish sellers that are still selling Kawakawa and Donu during the season ban can now have their fish confiscated and also be immediately fined with $10,000 for individuals and $20,000 for corporations.

The ministry implemented a grace period where fishermen and vendors were allowed to sell off any stock of these fish on the local market.

The grace period expired 11th of this month and fish confiscations have begun.