Turtles used to be plentiful in the Pacific, but by 1995 few were left. Wan Smolbag wrote a play about turtle conservation, took it round villages on Efate and the turtle monitors network was born. They are now the 400-strong Vanua-Tai Resource Monitors and their work continues. Recently they have been planting back mangroves in area where beaches are exposed to storm surge.
The Vanuatu are linked closely to the fisheries department and help to enforce fisheries rules on endangered species. Now many Vanuatai are authorised fisheries officers and can make on the spot fines if anyone is found killing turtles or dugongs.
We are often asked if the network can help with environmental programs as their reach is so great and also because the have annual AGMs where monitors come from all over the islands to talk about their work and hear about other environmental issues.
WSB’s Waste Management Department continue to offer its weekly waste removal service free of charge to peri-urban communities on the banks of the Tagabe River near WSB. The aim is to stop people throwing rubbish in the river, but as more and more plastic waste ends up in communities this is no easy task! We also do regular riverside clean ups and run workshops on dividing waste.
We have recently introduced a rubbish carnival at the youth centre where the youth hand over bags of rubbish they have collected in exchange for tickets to play on the various stalls at the carnival.
Our waste management officer has been up to Luganville to help with the clean up after cyclone Harold. Brian has been helping to clear school yards of debris and fallen trees as some schools had requested our help. He also planted trees where trees had been lost. He also helped clear our own centre of debris. After a cyclone people have to deal with their own houses as well as their work place, so an extra pair of hands and a chain saw can be very useful.