Mr Donovan said some ways in which village representatives could avoid overuse of marine resources was by defining their issues and what strengths they wanted to build on in their community and environment.

“We are here to assist villages in standing on their own two feet without relying heavily on what is handed to them by government or other non-governmental organisations,” he said.

“We want to see the people actually doing the work themselves, carrying out their responsibilities which were assigned to them by the provincial council.

“When dealing with people offering assistance on development, they need to check credentials and permits.

“That is vital as it gives them background on what type of development is being offered by the other stakeholders.”

Mr Donovan said it was important for village representatives to embrace new ideas for sustainable resource management and to learn from workshops that were held in the province.

Roko tui Rewa Timoci Kacanavesi said the assistance from the NGOs like Pacific Blue Foundation was in great demand because it directed representatives on what they were to do within their villages, districts and provinces.

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