In an effort to protect the population of whales in Fiji waters, only Tabua recovered from stranded sperm whales can add to the number of Tabua in circulation in the country.
Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama made this statement while receiving 148 Tabuas from the New Zealand government at the Double Tree Resort in Nadi today.
These Tabua were confiscated by the New Zealand government at the borders when people tried to take them without proper documentation.
These Tabua were in New Zealand for over a decade and under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna, they are returned to Fiji.
Bainimarama says that since 2010, Fiji has instituted a quota on the trade and export of Tabua in the country.
He says that he is proud of government’s commitment to limit the trade of Tabua in order to protect the sperm whales – a species currently classified as vulnerable.
He adds because of the love that Fiji has for its oceans, the world is looking at Fiji to lead the community of nations to reduce pollution and overfishing.
The Prime Minister adds that this exchange is very timely as it symbolises a deep tie between Fiji’s ocean ecosystems and its cultural wealth.
Bainimarama adds that the Tabua will bring warmth, pride and a deep sense of cultural belonging into the homes of those who will receive them.
He has thanked the New Zealand Government for working with Fiji.
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