April 30, 2026
Through the Kiwa RESTORE Project, communities in Ra Province are restoring mangroves at scale to strengthen coastal protection, fisheries, and climate resilience along their coast.
RA PROVINCE, FIJI (30 April, 2026) - Ten years after Severe Tropical Cyclone Winston devastated Fiji’s coastlines, five communities in Ra Province are restoring their coasts - reviving critical mangrove ecosystems that protect shorelines, support fisheries, and sustain local livelihoods.
More than 80,000 mangrove seedlings have been raised and are ready to plant – enough to cover the next eight hectares of coastline. Under the RESTORE project – led by Conservation International Fiji and supported by the Kiwa Initiative and partners – communities aim to restore a total of 20 hectares of mangroves in Navitilevu Bay by 2027. This is in addition to the nine hectares restored in
2025, co-financed by the Fiji Blue Carbon Project (funded by Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade) and RESTORE Project.
The work is being driven by communities across Nanukuloa, Naiserelagi, Barotu, Matawailevu, and Navuniivi, who share the bay’s qoliqoli cokovata (customary fishing grounds). Through communitymanaged, in-situ nurseries, villagers are replanting degraded coastlines with native mangrove species, strengthening natural coastal defenses while restoring marine habitats.
The full 20 hectares of restoration area in Navitilevu Bay has been identified and mapped, with communities continuing to pot seedlings and plant across all sites to reach the 2027 target.
When Cyclone Winston made landfall in February 2016, bringing winds of up to 306 km/h, it destroyed mangrove forests that communities relied on for food security and protection. In the years that followed, declining fish catches and increased pressure on household livelihoods underscored the importance of restoring these ecosystems.
Barotu Village headman, Meciusela Tulewa, said the community’s attitude toward fishing had changed since the disaster.
“Our fisherfolks knew that the marine life existing in the mangroves was in abundance. We would fish to catch as many as we can, rather than ‘just enough’. We treated our marine eco-system as a bottomless pit that would never dry up,” he said.
However, after the cyclone, fisheries were depleted, in part due to mangrove loss, as fish depend on mangroves for breeding, said Tulewa.
“This period taught us the important role that mangroves play in nature and our livelihood,” Tulewa continued.
“After Winston, big floods hit the village - there was no buffer to keep the tides at bay. Where we once took advantage of the many, we now had to make do with enough. We learnt that if we protect the mangroves, the mangroves will protect us,” he said.
Fisher Meri Vuda, who has spent more than 40 years harvesting crabs from Barotu’s mangrove forests, says the change is tangible.
“Before Winston I didn’t have to go any further into the mangroves for a decent catch,” she said.
“It was just there. Walking into the mangroves always guaranteed enough catch for my family’s needs - both for sustenance and an income.”
She said after the cyclone, there was a lull in her crab-catching activity. However, with mangrove restoration beginning with DFAT Blue Carbon Project in 2023, Vuda has noticed gradual return of large mud crabs and other mangrove marine species.
And now, with Kiwa RESTORE Project continuing the mangrove restoration work, mangrove marine species are expected to return to the shore.
According to Mere Lakeba, Interim Vice President of Conservation International’s Pacific Program, RESTORE is designed not only to replant mangroves but to support communities in protecting and restoring the coastlines they depend on.
“Restoration is not only improving the environment - it is strengthening resilience. Alongside mangrove planting, the project supports sustainable livelihoods linked to ecosystem health.”
Through RESTORE our communities are developing income streams such as beekeeping and honey production, that reduce reliance in fishing, while improving household income.
Early signs of recovery are already visible. “The mangroves are returning now, and so are the crabs. We can see it. That’s why I’m happy this project is focusing on mangroves. It brings back life - for us and for the sea,” said Fish Warden from Barotu Village, Setaita Biu.
Maciusela Tulewa added: “The restoration work also improved our knowledge of why we need mangroves. Being involved in the mangrove restoration activities and seeing the impacts it is having on our community has been a great turning point for most of us, who took the existence of mangroves for granted before TC Winston.”
The scale and pace of this community-led effort recently drew funders and partners to Navitilevu Bay to see results firsthand. Representatives from the Kiwa Initiative, Agence Française de Développement (AFD), the European Union, Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), the Government of Canada, IUCN, the Pacific Community (SPC), and SPREP visited restoration sites and met directly with community members - an opportunity to witness how
sustained investment in Nature-based Solutions is translating into tangible outcomes on the ground.
“The RESTORE project is supported by the Kiwa Initiative with €3.3 million (around FJD 8.4 million) in funding from France, the European Union, New Zealand, Australia and Canada. As donors, what we saw today in Navitilevu Bay demonstrates how this collective public investment is helping communities restore their ecosystems and deliver tangible results on the ground. Through
the support and capacity building provided by Conservation International, local communities are leading the way in strengthening climate resilience. Meeting the women and men driving this work has been truly inspiring. We are deeply grateful for the warm welcome received today.” says Mr. Thomas ZARATIEGUI, Head of Programs, AFD Pacific regional office (based in Noumea, New
Caledonia).
Following the visit, a regional technical workshop in Suva will explore how lessons from Navitilevu Bay could be scaled across the Pacific to strengthen climate resilience through nature-based solutions.
“RESTORE is designed to support community-led solutions across the Pacific. From Fiji to Samoa and Timor-Leste, we are seeing how restoring ecosystems can strengthen resilience, support livelihoods, and deliver long-term climate benefits,” added Mere Lakeba.
Media contact:
Shreya Kumar, Kiwa RESTORE Communications Coordinator | Conservation International skumar@conservation.org | +679 7229339
High-resolution images: Available on request after the visit. Images include mangrove restoration sites, in-situ nurseries, community members at work, and donor representatives meeting with communities during the field visit. Please use given captions and credits for print.
About the Kiwa RESTORE Project in Fiji: Led by Conservation International, the project rehabilitates mangrove ecosystems in Navitilevu Bay, Ra Province, and coral ecosystems in the Lau Group, integrating ecological restoration with community livelihoods.
About RESTORE: The RESTORE Project is funded by the Kiwa Initiative and implemented by Conservation International. The project aims to strengthen the adaptive capacity and economic resilience of Pacific Islanders -- specifically to improve shoreline stability, coastal protection and sustainable livelihoods -- through Nature-Based Solutions focused on community-based ecosystem
restoration in Fiji, Samoa and Timor-Leste.
About the Kiwa Initiative: The Kiwa Initiative - Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for Climate Resilience aims to build the resilience of Pacific Island ecosystems, communities, and economies to climate change through NbS by protecting, sustainably managing and restoring biodiversity. It is based on simplified access to funding for climate change adaptation and biodiversity conservation actions for local and national governments, civil society, and regional organizations in Pacific Island Countries and Territories. The Initiative is funded by the European Union, Agence française de développement (AFD), Global Affairs Canada (GAC), Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT). It has established partnerships with the Pacific Community (SPC), the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional
Environment Programme (SPREP), and the Oceania Regional Office of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN - ORO). For more information: The Kiwa Initiative - Climate Resilience in the Pacific Islands thanks to Nature-based Solutions (NbS).
About Conservation International: Conservation International protects nature for the benefit of humanity. Through science, policy, fieldwork and finance, we spotlight and secure the most important places in nature for the climate, for biodiversity and for people. With offices in 30 countries and projects in more than 100 countries, Conservation International partners with governments, companies, civil society, Indigenous peoples and local communities to help people and nature thrive together. Visit Conservation.org for more, and follow us on Conservation News, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.