THE Sisi Initiative/Natewa Tunuloa Site Support Group is one of 25 recipients of the Equator Initiative Award at the United Nations (UN) Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
A voluntary group of local landowners from Fiji has been awarded a prestigious Equator Prize for 2012. A representative of the group, Silio Lalaqila, received the award at a special ceremony last night co-hosted by actor, Ed Norton and Brazilian actress and environmental advocate, Camilla Pitanga.
The ceremony was also attended by heads of states, U.N. representatives and a list of celebrities, and held at the U.N. Conference on Sustainable Development (also known as Rio+20) which currently underway in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The Sisi Initiative is a BirdLife Fiji project. the group is named after the Sisi bird — also known as the Silktail Lamprolia victoriae - which is found only in the Natewa Tunuloa Peninsula on Fiji’s second-largest island of Vanua Levu.
This peninsula is one of the 14 Important Bird Areas in Fiji identified by BirdLife International as globally vital for conserving biodiversity. However, the birds’ old-growth rainforest habitat is being encroached upon by forces such as illegal logging, forest fires, overgrazing, agricultural expansion and the spread of invasive species.
In response to these threats, the Sisi group has been working with communities to wisely use and manage their natural resources in order to conserve the endemic bird while at the same time improving their own way of life. Actively managing more than 6,000 hectares (almost 15,000 acres) of forest, six villages are turning to income-generating activities that are compatible with conservation, including beekeeping, jewelry-making and ecotourism.
Silio Lalaqila — a representative of Fiji’s Sisi Initiative — accepted the Equator Prize on behalf of the community group at a Rio+20 award ceremony. (© CI/Photo by Kim McCabe)
Receiving the award Wednesday, Silio was overwhelmed by emotions, having traveled from his day job as a farmer, across the globe to receive the award in front of many world leaders.
“I felt proud to be a Fijian receiving this award on behalf of all the communities in Fiji that are actively engaged in conserving their natural resources”, said Silio. “It was more special getting the award in front of my own Prime Minister, Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama”.
“I am so thankful to BirdLife International for all the help they gave us to manage and conserve our natural resources”, he added.
The Equator Initiative is a partnership that brings together the U.N., governments, civil society, businesses and grassroots organizations to build capacity and raise the profile of local efforts towards sustainable development.
“The Sisi project is an example of strong partnership with the local communities”, said Miliana Ravuso – Programme Coordinator form the BirdLife International Pacific Secretariat.
“Over time, and with much dialogue and awareness-raising conducted by BirdLife and other stakeholders, the communities have realised the importance of protecting the Silktail and its habitat, and recognized the potential for an ecotourism birding venture”.
“The communities understood the destructive impacts of unsustainable logging and land-management practices, and realized that they could better manage existing natural resources and still derive income from them through alternative livelihood projects,” said Milly.
The work of the Sisi Initiative has been kindly supported by the GEF Small Grants Programme (GEF SGP – implemented by UNDP), Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF), UK Darwin Initiative and Australian Government Regional Natural Heritage Programme.
“We are proud to support organisations such as the Sisi Initiative group, which empowers indigenous communities to protect, manage and steward the natural resources in their communities, said Patricia Zurita – Executive Director of CEPF.
The Sisi Initiative is a UN Development Program (UNDP) Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grants Program (SGP) Fiji grantee.
SGP supports activities of non-government and community-based organisations in developing countries towards climate change abatement.
The SGP also supports the groups in the protection and conservation of the environment.
The Sisi Initiative through its partner Birdlife Fiji received the funding in 2011 for a reforestation program on the Natewa Tunuloa Peninsula.
Receiving the prize on behalf of the group was Sisi Initiative/project co-ordinator Sirilo Lalaqila.
A high powered Fiji government delegation was on hand to show support to Mr Lalaqila.
The Sisi Initiative is a BirdLife Fiji project. the group is named after the Sisi bird — also known as the Silktail Lamprolia victoriae — which is found only in the Natewa Tunuloa Peninsula on the island of Vanua Levu.
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| THE Sisi Initiative/Natewa Tunuloa Site Support Group |
The project was originally developed to respond to the problems of illegal logging, forest fires, overgrazing, agricultural encroachment and invasive alien species around the IBA, which includes large tracts of old-growth rainforest that support globally threatened birds.
A focus of the project was developing a strong partnership with the communities. Over time and with much dialog and awareness-raising conducted by BirdLife and other stakeholders, the communities came to realize the importance of protecting an endemic bird, the silktail (Lamprolia victoriae) and its habitat, and recognized the potential for an ecotourism birding venture. The communities understood the destructive impacts of unsustainable logging and land-management practices, and realized that they could better manage existing natural resources and still derive income from them through alternative livelihood projects.
“This initiative is a learning model for community-based conservation and forest management across Fiji,” said Patricia Zurita, executive director of CEPF. “We are proud to support organizations such as the Sisi Initiative Site Support Group (SSG), which empowers indigenous communities to protect, manage and steward the natural resources in their communities.”
The 25 recipients of the Equator Prize 2012 will each receive $5,000 (USD), and representatives of winning communities will be presented their awards today at the Equator Prize Gala held in conjunction with the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), currently under way in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
In addition to grants provided by CEPF, the initiative also has received funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF)-Small Grants Programme for a two-year project that includes the establishment of two village nurseries and the development of an ecotourism package for the IBA.
iji's Sisi Initiative Site Support Group manages natural resources around the periphery of the Natewa Tunuloa Important Bird Area. The organization has established a 600-hectare community protected forest and developed alternative livelihood options for the area's indigenous landowners.
Developed in response to illegal logging, forest fires, overgrazing, agricultural encroachment and invasive alien species, the organization uses an innovative incentive scheme to protect the globally important bird and wildlife species in Natewa Tunuloa.
Communities sign a Memorandum of Understanding in which they agree to protect the community forest and refuse logging concessions. In return, the initiative provides alternative livelihood training and projects in beekeeping, poultry, handicraft and jewelry-making, bakery and pastry-making, and sustainable agricultural. The group's model farm and tree nursery also help to reduce deforestation.
The initiative has been used as a learning model for community-based conservation and forest management across Fiji.
Contacts:
Talemo Tukidia / Miliana Ravuso
Nadavaci Village, Natewa, Cakaudrove, Fiji
milly@birdlifepacific.org.fj
Partner: BirdLife International
UN award for local group
There are three species of hawks that inhabit Fiji. Out of these, the most common is the swamp harrier, which is most often seen over the grasslands, swamps and forested areas. Its main diet consists of birds, rodents and occasionally snakes. The Fiji goshawk lives on coastal and inland areas of Fiji and feeds on insects, lizards and other birds. The peregrine falcon, which can reach speeds of over 320 kmh (200 mph) in a dive, making it the fastest animal in the world, is also found in Fiji. However, it is pretty rare to catch a glimpse of this bird on the islands.
Fiji is home to several species of doves as well. The most common one is the introduced spotted turtle dove, which is also the most destructive as it eats and destroys fruit crops. The most sought after dove by birders in Fiji is the orange dove because of the male’s bright orange-colored plumage, with the exception of its olive green-colored head. This bird can be found in Taveuni, Vanua Levu and some of the other offshore islands, but it is so rarely seen that it is quite difficult to even come by a photo of it in any book. The peale’s pigeon emits a barking noise that sounds much more like a dog rather than a bird, so it can deceive people when they hear it near or inside a rainforest.
A few other species of birds that can be seen in Fiji include the white-collared kingfisher, which is striking blue in color with a white collar-like design around its neck, and the Silktail, which has become increasingly rarer on the islands, most likely as a result of logging. 
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