Preserving culture, protecting villagers in Fiji

Lomawai village on the island of Fiji is known for its salt producing tradition. Today, though, Tai Butani is the only person left in the village who continues to produces salt from the salt ponds in the local mangroves.

"I collect water from the pond in a pan, cook it for 24 hours, and once it evaporates in becomes salt. Once the water dries, you can immediately see the salt," Tai explained.

Tai uses natural methods to produce salt from the mangrove ponds, tasting the water herself to determine when the salt is ready to be harvested. She explains that it would be impossible to make salt without the existing mangroves because their density keeps the saltwater inside the ponds.

Yet, the mangroves upon which Tai's trade relies are being threatened. In recent decades, villagers' unsustainable use of the mangroves for fuel and building huts has led to the loss of 11 hectares of mangroves and 3 hectares of salt ponds.

But thanks to a community conservation project backed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Butani now has a platform from which to encourage her fellow villagers to preserve the mangroves.

The project, started by the World Wildlife Fund in 1999, is funded by a US$42,000 grant from UNDP's Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grants Programme. It aims to preserve local culture in Fiji through protecting Fiji's natural environment.

Through a series of workshops supported by the project, Tai Butani is teaching salt-production skills to women in her village, thereby encouraging them to preserve this time-honored tradition, and educating her community members about the importance of preserving the local mangroves.

Mangroves are a crucial source of protection from natural diasters in Fiji, which has the highest incidence of cyclones in the Pacific. They serve as a natural barrier for the shore line, protecting the local population from cyclones, flooding, and heavy rain.

Additionally, the ability to generate profits from salt production provides a much needed, additional source of income for the women of Lomamwai village, where the main income-generating activity - fishing - is being threatened. 

“They mentioned that they’ve been losing fish over the years, and they’ve had to go further out to find fish and sell them. So this project is actually providing them a source of livelihood that’s closer to their homes,”says Sholto Fanifo, UNDP GEF Programme Associate.

Diana, one of the beneficiaries of the project, is learning how to harvest salt from Tai. She is happy to keep the village traditions alive.

“It’s important for me and the women in the village, because we are learning. Because it is a tradition...and we can carry on with it,” she said.

“I have told the villagers that it is important we continue to revive and teach our young ones about the art of cooking salt. That is what we are known for, and my people need to see this natural resource as a means of bringing about development in Lomawai village,” saysTai.