Fiji Forest Policy Statement.

The sectoral nation-wide Fiji Forest Policy Statement was adopted in November 2007 by the Cabinet of the Republic of Fiji Islands. The Policy s goal is sustainable management of Fiji s forests to maintain their natural potential and to achieve greater social, economic and environmental benefits for current and future generations. Therefore, its objectives include: ensured ecosystem stability through conservation of forest biodiversity, water catchments and soil fertility; ensured sustainable supply of forest products and services by maintaining a sufficiently large permanent forest area under efficient and effective management; increased engagement by landowners and communities in sustainable forest management and an equitable distribution of benefits from forest products and processes including ensured protection of intellectual property rights; increased employment in the forestry sector, sufficient supply of domestic markets and increased foreign exchange earnings through sustainable forest-based industry development and trade; and enhanced national capacity to manage and develop the forest sector in a collaborative approach with involvement of all stakeholders.
The Policy sets out the actions for the promotion and support to the development of agroforestry systems as a means to enhance food and forest production on areas cultivated for crop production by way of planting and integrating suitable forest trees into their existing farming system. The Policy stresses the importance of research for the development of appropriate agroforestry farm models, and of providing appropriate advice, assistance and technologies to communities in order to improve and sustain livelihoods.
One of the priorities of the Policy is the transition from timber exploitation to sustainable forest resource management by ensuring the maintenance and expansion of the Permanent Forest Estate, implementation of licensing policies and forest revenue policies and mandatory application and enforcement of Fiji Forest Harvesting Code of Practice. Also, the Policy envisages shifting to landowner involvement and community based sustainable forest management.
The Policy recognizes the importance of the development of the forestry sector for poverty reduction. It puts in place mechanisms for outlining of a financing strategy for the implementation of the Policy. It also sets out the mechanisms for cost-sharing of capacity building expenses by different users and for the improvement of the sustainability of forestry extension services.
The Policy also foresees the measures for the management of forest resources to maintain and improve the production potential while maintaining their genetic diversity and resilience against natural disasters and impacts of climate change.
All stakeholders such as land and forest resource owners, logging companies and forest industries, related natural resource management agencies in the public and civil societies, the national and international development agencies, and society in general should become acquainted with new forest policy statement. The Program sets out a number of implementation priorities, as well as describes the role of key actors in its implementation, such as the National Government, the Forestry Department, other public institutions, resource owners, forest industry, NGOs and aid donors. The National Forest Programme initiative provides the platform through wide consultation with stakeholders and the new constituted Forestry Board will ensure the appropriate support. It is also envisaged that the implementation of the forest policy shall be accompanied right from the beginning with a robust monitoring and evaluation scheme according to a number of established criteria.