Corals For Conservation

ABOUT US

THE TEAM

DR AUSTIN BOWDEN-KERBY
Austin is the founder of Corals for Conservation and has been working to expand and refine the methods of growing corals sustainably and for restoring degraded coral reefs since 1987, so that rural communities can actively participate. Communities gain understanding as they become involved. “Corals are alive,” Austin explains. ”they are a miracle combination of plant and animal and rock combined. Corals need sunlight to grow, but they also feed on tiny animals and plants in the water.” Austin, marine biologist and senior scientist at Counterpart International, has been working with PCDF in Fiji since 1999. Austin has lived in the islands for the past 30 years and in particular Fiji for 9 years with his wife Kim and 4 children. He works with endangered coral conservation in the Caribbean where the program has been also running for several years. Austin is a project motivator and enjoys watching community members planting the corals and becoming excited as they se the results…”Restoring life to the coral reef and getting the fish back again, gives people hope and the power to do more”.

FULORI NAINOCA
Environmentalist
Fulori is an environmentalist and the Program Co-ordinator for the Natural Resources Unit. She has always had a keen interest about the natural world so when she finished high school, she knew exactly what she wanted to concentrate her profession on. Prior to this field of work, Fulori was in the teaching profession after she graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree majoring in Environmental Studies from the University of the South Pacific in 1998. This she feels was an advantage as it enabled her to develop her skills and confidence in public speaking and made it easier to facilitate educational workshops on community projects.
“We are helping people manage their own local marine areas. By giving the people tools, skills and knowledge, it brings about a sense of ownership and appreciation for their environment and the importance of management. We are unique in that we tend to have a community development approach rather than sole focus on research and science like many nature based organisations.

ILIAPI TUWAI
Marine Scientific Officer
Iliapi Tuwai: was educated at USP and United Kingdom is a Marine Scientist.
He has been with PCDF for 3 years and runs the biological surveys and monitors the MPA's in villages.
“Over fishing is a common problem and many of these people don't know that the method of fishing they use is a contributor or cause of the problem” – “so our main objective when going out to these areas is to create awareness among stakeholders because their livelihood depends on how well they manage their resources”- “I have seen the change so I know this works, it really works.”
Tuwai has worked in the Fisheries Department and School of Marine Studies at USP for the last 20 years with vast experiences in research, management and coordinating works in Fisheries and Marine resources.
Now he enjoys working with the local communities “I feel satisfied and happy when my people tells me that there is surplus food on the table or now we can go to town to buy what we always wanted…a blessing”

ETIKA SING
Community Liaison Officer
Has been working with the organization for the past 13 years and with the Natural Resource management program since 2000. “I enjoy working with communities on projects that involve restoration of marine resources. One of the benefits of working here, he adds, is the chance to travel to different locations across Fiji and getting to know people. Lack of funding and site isolation, he states is one of the major challenges faced by the project. “We are always trying to fulfill Donors expectations by trying to see who can cover the most sites-this is difficult because of, again, distance and limited funds, make follow-ups to these communities difficult”. The program with all its projects, works closely with district and village level. “Taking the bottom-up is the best possible solution to making management plans work”. This approach not only allows a relationship to be formed but also allows these communities to have a sense of ownership over the project.

MEREONI MATAIKA
Project/Technical Officer
Mereoni started off as a volunteer, whilst finishing off her degree in environmental science. She has now been in PCDF for almost 5 years. “Being part of this team has made me more aware of my culture and the environment”. She adds “Conservation is not a new thing; our forefathers have been practising it for centuries. But because of western influences, this knowledge is slowly eroding and if we're not careful it could be lost forever.” Apart from project, Mereoni also plays an active role in disseminating and creating awareness to schools within the project sites, on topics related to Coastal and Marine management.