Fiji: Summer

Reefs, Resources and Rights: Conservation and Tourism in Fiji

June 2010, $2850

6 Credits (no pre-requisites)

Overview

This is an educational study tour of the coastline, islands, reefs, and villages of Fiji, exploring human aspects of natural systems and their conservation and management through field, class, and travel experiences. This course will examine the link between local communities, tourism and marine conservation through field-based research and service learning in outer-island communities. Integrating ethnographic and GIS methods, students will look at traditional resource management institutions and how rights to resources are defined and contested. By working with local community members and participating in marine subsistence activities, students will also document local knowledge of reefs and resources with a view to producing maps that these communities can use to support local conservation efforts and generate tourism revenue. It is a field studies course in natural resources and conservation during Summer 2010 and offers 6 credits with no pre-requisites.

We also offer a 3 credit additional option to Sydney designed to fit with this Summer program. See our Sydney programs for further details.

Credits & Costs

6 credits, no pre-requisites or co-requisites for ALL MAJORS

Credit is available at the undergraduate and graduate levels in one or more of the following disciplines:

Anthropology (ANTH) 4271/6271
Ecology (ECOL) 4271/6271
Forestry (FORS) 4271/6271
Geography (GEOG) 4271/6271
International Affairs (INTL) 4271/6271
Recreation & Leisure Studies (RLST) 4271/6271

4271 courses are for undergraduate students and fulfill 3000+ level elective requirements for UGA students.

6271 courses are for graduates and honors students.

Students attend lectures and participate in field studies that take an interdisciplinary perspective.

Program includes all accommodation, excursions, cultural events, insurance, ground and sea transportation, and most meals. Tuition (HOPE applies and out-of-state students pay in-state tuition) and international airfare (group rate available) are additional.

Description

Like many places in the tropical Pacific, Fiji´s coasts, reefs and fisheries have suffered severe degradation in recent decades from the combined effects of development, overfishing, and tourism. The issue of how to respond has placed Fiji at the forefront of a series of global debates about the links between conservation and human well-being.

Two factors are especially salient in Fiji´s efforts to promote marine conservation. First, local communities continue to exercise authority over their reefs through traditional resource management institutions. In the last decade the Fiji Locally-Managed Marine Area network (FLMMA), has actively promoted and supported the proliferation of community-based marine conservation initiatives managed according to traditional institutions, and it has been touted globally as an exemplar of effective community-based conservation. Second, Fiji has recently emerged as a major global tourist destination, renowned for its white sand beaches, crystal-clear water, brilliant living reefs, and world-class waves. Resorts of all types have sprung up to satisfy tourist demand, ranging from village homestays, to backpacker camps with dormitory accommodation, to exclusive $1000-a-day resorts. One of the most notable trends has been the growth of ecotourism, which is presented as a less intrusive, more beneficial and sustainable form of tourism, striving to maintain the smallest possible ecological footprint and simultaneously supporting both conservation goals and local livelihoods. However, the distinction between tourism and ecotourism is not necessarily as clear as we may think: both large and small resorts may have adverse effects on the environment, and both may also promote the commodification of culture. The bottom line is that in Fiji marine conservation is tied up both with community rights and with tourism.

This course will examine the link between local communities, tourism and marine conservation through field-based research and service learning in two communities: Waitabu on the island of Taveuni and Soso on the island of Naviti. Additionally, we will also visit a series of resorts in the Mamanuca island chain.

We will spend approximately one week in each community, living with local families. Research will focus on two main issues. First, students will look at traditional resource management institutions and the ways in which rights to resources are both defined and contested. Second, they will document local knowledge of reefs and resources, with a view to producing a set of maps that these two communities can use to support their conservation efforts.

Integrating ethnographic and GIS methods, students will work with local community members to map reefs and other marine resources. They will also interview community members and participate in fishing and other marine subsistence activities with community members in order to document resource use. Finally, they will be responsible for providing their research results in forms that are useful to the community, possibly through digital maps or through production of an interpretive brochure that the communities can use to generate tourism revenue.

The program is suitable for students from a wide variety of backgrounds, and no prior resource conservation knowledge is assumed.

Application Details

We also offer a 3 credit additional option to Sydney designed to fit with this Summer program. See our Sydney programs for further details.