Fiji

Resources

Geography

Geographic description

The Republic of the Fiji Islands, in the southern Pacific Ocean, is located approximately 3 100 km northeast of Sydney, Australia, and approximately 5 000 km southwest of Honolulu, Hawaii. It is made up of about 330 islands and about 500 more tiny atolls, islets, and reefs. The islands cover a total land area of 18 270 km². The island of Viti Levu (Big Fiji) covers about half of Fiji's area (10 429 km²), and Vanua Levu (Big Land) about a third (5 556 km²).

The large islands are of volcanic origin. Mount Tomaniivi, on Viti Levu, is the highest point at 1 324 m. A number of the smaller islands are coral formations, rising only a few meters above sea level. Nearly all the islands are surrounded by coral reefs. The major rivers on Viti Levu include the Rewa, Sigatoka, Nadi, and Ba. Dreketi is the largest river on Vanua Levu.

The climate in Fiji is tropical, but cooling winds make the climate relatively comfortable. Temperatures range from about 16° C to 32° C. December to April, which are also the rainy season, are the hottest months, with daily highs reaching 32° C. The windward (south-eastern) sides of the islands receive as much as 3 330 mm of rain a year, while the leeward northern sides receive about 2 540 mm. Heavy rains and cyclones often occur between November and April.

Ecological zones

Fiji’s forests can be divided into 4 main ecological categories. These are Preserved Forests, Protected Forests, Multiple Use Forests, and Plantation Forests.

Preserved Forests

Preserved forests are areas of natural forests to be maintained in an undisturbed natural condition for the preservation of certain biological values. Preserved forests include nature reserves and national Parks.

Protected Forests

Protected forests are areas of highly sensitive native forests by virtue of their topography, climate, soil type or a combination of the two factors. Timber harvesting and other forestry operations are restricted to minor forest products.

Multiple Use Forests

Multiple use forests are forest areas carrying indigenous forest vegetation to be maintained under forest cover and to be used mainly for the production of timber, minor forest products, protection of water catchments, wild life habitat, forest recreation and amenity values.

Plantation Forests

These are planted forests, mainly of Pinus caribaea and Sweitenia macrophylla.

Forest cover

Description of the natural woody vegetation

The Fijian archipelago includes over 500 islands ranging in size up to 10 429 km² (Viti Levu). Second largest is Vanua Levu (5 556 km²), followed by Taveuni (434 km²). The smaller islands are largely encompassed in two recognized groups, the Yasawa Group and the Lau Group. Rotuma, an isolated island about 450 km north of Vanua Levu, is also a part of Fiji. Three major landforms are distinguished: flatlands, hilly lands and steeplands. Elevations range up to around 1 300 m and the mountainous topography produces pronounced windward/leeward rainfall effects. Rain forests dominate the windward and summit steeplands. Dry forests on the leeward sides have been largely usurped by grazing and fire, and persist only as remnants. Instead, extensive lowland areas support talasiqa vegetation, extensive degraded areas dominated by grasses and ferns. The following description of vegetation types is derived from Mueller-Dombois and Fosberg (1998).

Natural forests

Closed broadleaved forests

Lowland Rain Forest

On Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, this forest is mostly a mixed assemblage of 20 to 30 m tall trees, largely dominated by primary Fijian species on the steeplands, but largely displaced on flatter lands, with a lower limit of annual rainfall of 2 500 mm. The canopy matrix includes 40 to 50 angiosperm species featuring Calophyllum vitiense and Endospermum macrophyllum, along with Canarium vitiense, Cleistocalyx spp., Garcinia vitiense, Heritiera ornithocephala, Myristica castaneifolia, Palaquium hornei, Parinari insularum and Syzygium spp. Kauri (Agathis vitiense) and two other gymnosperms, Dacrydium elatum and Nageia vitiensis, are also common, and become more frequent in a drier forest subtype with rainfall as low as 2 250 mm per year.

A mature lowland rain forest type on Vanua Balavu of the Lau Group features Dysoxylum mollissimum ssp. molle, Ficus prolixa, Kleinhovia hospita, Maniltoa floribunda and Veitchia joannis on shallow soils over limestone or basalt. Kabara Island, also in the Lau Group, has a little-disturbed rain forest that occupies a plateau of limestone rock with little soil development. The main trees here are Ficus spp., Intsia bijuga, Koelreuteria elegans, Pittosporum brackenridgei and Milletia pinnata.

The terrain of Rotuma is mostly rolling-hills. The island is densely populated and most of it is has been cleared for coconut plantations and mixed agriculture. The remaining patches of forest on steep slopes, cinder cones, and little-weathered ‘a‘a lava are dominated by a forest of Dendrocnide vitiensis, Elattostachys falcata, Planchonella samoensis and Pometia pinnata.

Cloud Forest

This unique, stunted ecosystem is restricted to mountaintops and ridges above 600 m elevation near the coast and above 900 m inland. Stunting is related to cooler temperatures, higher winds, lower light levels that reduce photosynthesis and excess moisture levels, which accelerate nutrient leaching and decrease soil aeration. Except at the lower elevational limits of cloud forest, common lowland species in Fiji do not generally penetrate into this zone. At 1 200 m elevation, unique trees include Ardisia brackenridgei, Dysoxylum lenticellare, Fagraea vitiensis and Weinmannia spp., and among the shrubs are Pipturus argenteus, Randia vitiensis and Scaevola floribunda. At 800 m, several common lowland species are seen, including Alstonia vitiensis, Bischofia javanica, Calophyllum neo-ebudicum, Heritiera ornithocephala, Palaquium hornei and Parinari insularum. Taxa occurring in all cloud forest elevational variants include Cyathea alata, Dysoxylum gillespianum, Macaranga seemannii and Syzygium spp.

Broadleaved Dry Forest

The leeward lowland primary dry forests in Fiji have largely been destroyed by grazing and fire. These “dry” forests are only seasonally dry and during the warm season they receive as much rain as the wet uplands. On Viti Levu, no primary dry forest remains. Instead, stands of Casuarina equisetifolia have taken their place. Those forests in advanced stages of recovery are associated with the trees Acacia richii, Alphitonia zizyphoides, Gymnostoma vitiense and Trichospermum richii and the palm Pritchardia pacifica.

A dry forest of sandalwood (Santalum yasi), along with Casuarina equisetifolia and Gymnostoma vitiense, occurs on Vanua Levu. Associated species include Fagraea gracilipes and Myristica castaneifolia. The sandalwood trade in Fiji during the early nineteenth century heavily depleted these forests and the species survives only as small relict populations.

Mangrove Forest

The richest mangroves in Fiji occur at the mouths of major river deltas around mud-covered streambanks in the tidal zone. Seven mangrove species are represented. Rhizophora stylosa and R. x selala form a scrubby seaward fringe, replaced further inland by a mixed forest of Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, Excoecaria agallocha, Lumnitzera littorea and Xylocarpus granatum. Rhizophora samoensis is scattered throughout.

Coastal Forest

A zone dominated by pure stands of Casuarina equisetifolia or Pandanus tectorius is supplanted inland by a mixed littoral forest that includes Barringtonia asiatica, Calophyllum inophyllum, Cocos nucifera, Cordia subcordata, Hibiscus tiliaceus, Hernandia nymphaeifolia, Terminalia catappa, Thespesia populnea and Tournefortia argentea.

A unique coastal forest exists at Sigatoka, on the south-west coast of Viti Levu. Here the dune forest is dominated by native species that normally grow inland, such as Calophyllum inophyllum, Dysoxylum mollissimum ssp. molle and Syzygium richii. These dunes are composed of magnetite sands rich in iron, which may explain the occurrence of this unique forest.

Open broadleaved forests

Freshwater Wetland Vegetation

Poorly drained coastal flatlands along major rivers in peat or gley soils support scattered Pandanus savannah that includes native Annona glabra, Barringtonia racemosa, Fagraea berteroana and Glochidion cordatum and introduced Psidium cattleianum and P. guajava. Found on gley but not on peat are Hibiscus tiliaceus, Inocarpus fagifer and the palm Metroxylon vitiense.

Closed mixed forests

Upland Rain Forest

Found above 400 m near the coast and above 600 m inland on Viti Levu, Vanua Levu, and Taveuni, the physiognomy of upland rain forests differs from that of lowland forests in being lower-statured, with crowns lower on their trunks. Temperatures are cooler and rainfall is generally higher, except that some upper elevation areas experience seasonal droughts, such as the high mountain ranges on the lee side of Viti Levu. Thus, a wet-zone forest with more than 3 750 mm annual rainfall can be distinguished from an intermediate-zone forest with 2 000 to 3 750 mm rainfall.

The wet-zone forest features two gymnosperms, Agathis vitiensis and Nageia vitiensis, along with a mix of many species also found in lowland rain forest, such as Calophyllum vitiense, Dysoxylum molllisimum spp. molle, Endospermum macrophyllum, Garcinia myrtifolia, Metrosideros collina, Myristica castaneifolia, Podocarpus affinis and Syzygium effusum.

The intermediate-zone forest features Agathis vitiensis, with Dacrydium elatum replacing the two Podocarpus species. The associated tree species are mostly the same as those found in lowland rain forest. Also appearing are the tree fern Cyathea lunulata and the smaller subcanopy trees Alstonia vitiensis, Discocalyx divaricata and Plerandra vitiensis. Invasions of the fern Dicranopteris linearis and the grass Miscanthus floridulus follow recurring fires.

Mixed Dry Forest

Although no longer extant in Fiji except as remnant stands, the typical Fijian dry forest is dominated by the conifer Dacrydium nidulum var. nidulum and Fagraea gracilipes. This mixed forest also includes the gymnosperm, Podocarpus neriifolius, the ironwood Gymnostoma vitiense, as well as Aleurites moluccana, Dysoxylum mollissimum spp. molle, Ficus theophrastoides, Gironniera celtifolia, Intsia bijuga, Myristica castaneifolia, Parinari insularum, Premna taitensis var. taitensis and Syzygium spp.

Other wooded land

Shrubs

The coastal vegetation of Fiji follows that typically found elsewhere in that part of the Pacific, with a herb zone followed inland by a shrub zone dominated by Scaevola taccada, along with Clerodendrum inerme, Sophora tomentosa and Wollastonia biflora.

Forest fallow

Talasiqa Vegetation

In Fiji, talasiqa (“sunburnt”) vegetation covers about a third of both Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. It refers to once-forested dry lowlands now degraded by fire and grazing into a mosaic of pyrophytic grasslands and savannahs. Large grasslands of Miscanthus floridulus and Pennisetum polystachyon dominate some areas, but in areas of severe soil nutrient impoverishment, low-growing plants of the indigenous ferns Pteridium aquilinum var. esculentum and Dicranopteris linearis are the primary vegetation cover. Because the latter stage of vegetation development of the lack of fuel trees such as Casuarina equisetifolia and Pandanus tectorius and shrubs such as Alphitonia zizyphoides, Dodonaea viscosa, Melastoma denticulata, Morinda citrifolia and Mussaenda raiateensis can become established.

References

Mueller-Dombois, D. and F. R. Fosberg 1998. Vegetation of the tropical Pacific islands. Springer-Verlag, New York. 733 pp.

Information on forest assessments

Two major National Forest Inventories (NFI) were carried out for the Fiji group. The first was done in 1966 to 1969 by the Lands and Resources Division of the British Government when Fiji was still a British colony. Aerial photos were used in this inventory to stratify the forest into different forest types and sub types and species associations. Inventory lines were laid out in such a way that they cut across many different forest types to get a fair representation of the stocking and species composition of these areas. Under this inventory, Fiji’s natural forest was divided into three (3) main forest categories, which do not include any agricultural areas. The three main forest categories were:

Non-commercial forests.

Non-commercial forests are forest areas that are generally unsuitable for commercial timber production due to their poor stocking or unsuitable species composition. Non-commercial forests are further sub divided into 16 more sub categories.

Protection forests

Protection forests are those generally not recommended for logging due to the nature of their landform or terrain. These are generally areas having slopes of 30 degrees and above. Protection forest areas were sub-divided into 6 more sub-categories.

Production forests

These are areas considered as suitable for commercial timber production due to their high stocking and commercially desirable species composition. Production forest areas were sub-divided into 23 sub-categories according to species associations.

The second NFI was carried out from 1991 to 1993 by the Fiji Government and the German Government under its GTZ agency. During this inventory, Fiji’s forests were categorised into three (3) main forest function categories known as “The Fiji Potential Forest Function Areas”. The three potential forest functions are those described under “Ecological zones” in this report.

Satellite images were used to further sub-categorise the forests into three (3) main forest density classes. The density classes are:

Dense forests with crown density of trees and/or ferns 75-100% and ground coverage by grass, palm and/or bamboo 0-25%.

Medium dense forests with crown density by trees and/or ferns 45-80% and coverage by grass, palm and/or bamboo 20-25%.

Scattered forests include shrubs (including scattered coconut stands) dense bush land (thickets) with single trees. Crown density by trees and/or ferns 15-20% and ground coverage by grass; palm and/or bamboo 50-85%.

Area of forest cover

Table 1 - Bibliographic references

Country	Fiji
Title	Country Report – Fiji
Author	Ram Swarup, Conservator of Forests
Year	1998
Source	Heads of Forestry meeting handout
Date of consult.	25/6/00
Location (of publication)	In FRA Pacific Islands box

Description of source

(including type of source, overall quality assessment and utility for FRA 2000)

Information content (check one or more topics as appropriate)

Natural Forest	X		Protected areas	X
Plantations	X		Biodiversity
Other wooded land	X		Forest ownership	X
Forest area change			Wood supply potential
Total volume			Non-wood forest products
Total biomass			Trees outside forest
Commercial volume			Forest fires

Country	Fiji
Title	LRD Forest Assessment – Fiji
Author	Lands and Resources Division of the British Government.
Year	1969
Source	Fiji Forestry Department
Date of consult.
Location (of publication)	Forestry Department, Fiji

Description of source

(including type of source, overall quality assessment and utility for FRA 2000)

Information content (check one or more topics as appropriate)

Natural Forest	X		Protected areas	X
Plantations			Biodiversity
Other wooded land	X		Forest ownership	X
Forest area change			Wood supply potential	X
Total volume	X		Non-wood forest products
Total biomass			Trees outside forest
Commercial volume	X		Forest fires

Country	Fiji
Title	Fiji National Forest Inventory
Author	Dr. Wolf Forstreuter
Year	1993
Source
Date of consult.
Location (of publication)	Fiji Forestry Department

Description of source

(including type of source, overall quality assessment and utility for FRA 2000)

Information content (check one or more topics as appropriate)

Natural Forest	X		Protected areas	X
Plantations	X		Biodiversity	X
Other wooded land	X		Forest ownership	X
Forest area change			Wood supply potential
Total volume	X		Non-wood forest products
Total biomass			Trees outside forest
Commercial volume	X		Forest fires

Name of reviewer:

S. Lagataki, Forest Management Officer

Forestry Department, Fiji

Table 2 - Description of forest inventories/surveys

Country

Fiji

Reference year

1969

Title of inventory

LRD inventory

Type of inventory

Field & Aerial photos

Forest typing done using aerial photos, inventory lines runs in such a way that they cross many different forest types to give a fair representation of the area. Inventory lines does not cover all forest areas but projections were done from certain areas of known vegetation structure and soil type into those areas of similar geological and vegetation structure characteristics as seen from aerial photos.

Reporting level	Sub national	Country coverage	Partial
	National / sub-national		Complete / partial
Map output	Yes/ analogue	Scale of the map	1:50 000

Vegetation types included	yes		Additional information included	yes
Natural forests	yes		Area by forest formation	yes
Plantations	no		Volume	yes
All forests	yes		Biomass	no
Other wooded land	yes		Forest naturalness	yes
			Forest biodiversity	yes
			Forest ownership	no
			Wood supply potential	yes

This inventory is much more intensive compared to the Fiji 1991-1993 NFI as the smallest area of assessment are water catchment unit.

Reliability class

1

1=high 2=medium 3=low

Country

Fiji

Reference year

1993

Title of inventory

Fiji NFI 1991-1993

Type of inventory

Field & Satellite images Landsat TM 1991

Digital image analysis.

Reporting level	National	Country coverage	Complete
Map output	Yes/ analogue & Digital	Scale of the map	1:50 000

Vegetation types included	yes		Additional information included	yes
Natural forests	yea		Area by forest formation	yes
Plantations	yes		Volume	yes
All forests	yes		Biomass	no
Other wooded land	yes		Forest naturalness	no
			Forest biodiversity	no
			Forest ownership	no
			Wood supply potential	no

The reliability of the data is of medium level as the inventory was designed to be at a national level compared to the LRD of 1969 that is done at the water catchment level.

Reliability class

2

1=high 2=medium 3=low

Table 3 - Area of woody vegetation according to national classification

Reference year: Geographic Unit:

Forest and other woody vegetation types (country classification)	Area (000 ha)
1. Multiple Use Natural Forests	514.680
2. Protection Forests	233.220
3. Preserved Forests	55.000
4. Plantation Forests (Pines & Mahogany)	94.398
Subtotal of country classes corresponding with FRA 2000 forest and other wooded land	897.298
Subtotal other land	929.902
Total land area	1827.200

Table 4 - Comparability between country classification and FRA 2000 classification

Reference year: 1993

Geographic Unit:

Title of the inventory/survey: NFI 1993

Forest and other woody vegetation types (country classification)	Corresponding FRA 2000 classes
Dense Forests, Medium Dense Forests	Closed Forest
Scattered Forests	Open Forest
Non Forests	Shrub

Note: Open and closed forest make up “natural forest”; shrub and forest fallow make up “other wooded land”

Change in forest cover

No information

Plantations

Gross estimated area 97,200 ha Annual planting 4,200 ha

Species group	Gross estimated area		Purpose (%)		Ownership (%)
	ha	%			Public	Private	Others
Mahoganies	42,000	43.0	Industrial	100	82	18
			Non-Industrial
Other Broadleaved spp.	4,900	5.0	Industrial	100	82	18
			Non-Industrial
Pinus spp.	43,300	45.0	Industrial	100	100
			Non-Industrial
Others	7,000	7.0	Industrial	100	82	18
			Non-Industrial

Mahoganies Swietenia macrophylla

Other Broadleaved spp. Cordia alliodora, Cadamba spp, Maesopsis eminii, etc.

Pinus spp. P. caribaea

Others Mixed plantations with broadleaved species and Pinus

caribaea

Non-forest Species	Age	Gross estimated area	Ownership (%)
		(ha)	Public	Private	Others
Coconut, tall	1-29
	30-59
	60+
	Total	54 000*
Coconut, hybrid
Oil palm
Rattan*

*Asian and Pacific Coconut Community. 1998. Coconut Statistical Yearbook 1997. Jakarta.

Explanatory note on 2000 estimates Oliver (1999) says that the main purpose of the plantations is to produce timber. Thus, it can be said that 100 percent of plantations are industrial plantations. Oliver presents figures by hardwood plantations and softwood plantations. The reference years are 1998 and 1999, respectively, so estimates should be done separately. For hardwood plantations, the total area in 1998 was 50 268 ha. Areas are presented by age classes and it is calculated that about 1 800 ha of plantations have been established for last 5 years. Assuming this as an annual planting rate continuing until 2000 and applying this to the area in 1998 as a base, the total in 2000 is estimated to be approximately 53 900 ha. Composition of species is available and it is assumed to be valid up to the year 2000. For softwood plantations, the total plantation area is indicated to be 40 887 ha in 1999 with an annual planting rate of about 2 400 ha. Applying the annual planting rate to the area in 1999 as a base, the total in 2000 is estimated to be approximately 43 300 ha. All softwood plantations are owned by a public company, and are thus categorised as public. Species planted are Pinus caribaea and P. caribaea var. hondurensis. Regarding ownership, Oliver (1999) says that 83 percent is under customary ownership, 10 percent is privately owned and the rest is owned by the government. It is assumed that customary land is leased from the government and it could be said that customary land belongs to the government originally.

References

Oliver, W. 1999. An Update of Plantation Forestry in the South Pacific, RAS/97/330 Working Paper No.7, Pacific Islands Forests & Trees Support Programme

Volume and biomass

No information.

Change in volume and biomass

No information.

Forest health and protection

Fire situation in Fiji

No information.

Insects and disease

No information.

Invasive species

No information.

Weather (hurricane, tsunami, etc.)

No information.

Mangroves

Area:

Ha	Year	Source	Remarks
	2000
38,500	1993	Anon (1993)	Cited in Spalding et al. (1997)
51,700	1985	Spalding, M.D., Blasco, F. and Field, C.D. (Eds.) (1997) World Mangrove Atlas. The international Society for Mangrove Ecosystems, Okinawa, Japan. 178 pp.	Map estimate based on 1985 survey
20,000	1983	Wacharakitty, S. (1983) Mangrove Ecosystem in General pp. 22-33. ESCAP/UNESCO/NRCT Regional Remote Sensing Training Course on Mangrove Ecosystem Bangkok, Nov. 28-dec, 16, 1983.

Description

The richest mangroves in Fiji occur at the mouths of major river deltas around mud-covered streambanks in the tidal zone. Seven mangrove species are represented. Rhizophora stylosa and R. x selala form a scrubby seaward fringe, replaced further inland by a mixed forest of Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, Excoecaria agallocha, Lumnitzera littorea and Xylocarpus granatum. Rhizophora samoensis is scattered throughout.

References

Mueller-Dombois, D. and F. R. Fosberg 1998. Vegetation of the tropical Pacific islands. Springer-Verlag, New York. 733 pp.

Forest management

Forest legislation and policy

“The 1988 Fijian Forestry Sector Review lists the objectives of the Forestry Sector as being:

"To maximise the sustainable contribution of the Sector to the development and diversification of the economy whilst bringing the Fijian people into fuller and more active participation in sectoral development of all levels and stages and, at the same time, protecting and enhancing the effectiveness of the country's forest in environmental conservation."

“This is a broad summary of the policy objectives for Fiji which are carried out under the 1992 Forestry Decree. The forest policy concerns for Fiji are probably more akin to those of New Zealand than its Melanesian neighbours. Its major challenge is to successfully market its increasing plantation resources while maximising local benefits through domestic processing. These objectives are likely to continue as a focus for the sector for the foreseeable future, with policy designed to facilitate niche marketing and to enhance competitiveness. One single factor dominates the timber market outlook for Fiji. This is the perceived softwood surplus in the Pacific rim region from the plantations form the maturing of plantations in Chile, New Zealand and Australia. The Fijian perspective is a need for virtually a complete reversal of direction concentrating almost exclusively on speciality high quality products and secondary processing tailored to specific customers in a narrow range of market areas.”

Brown, C. 1997. Regional study – the South Pacific. Asia-pacific Forestry Sector Outlook Study, Working Paper No. APFSOS/WP/01. FAO, Rome.

Status and trends in forest management

“The production forest estate comprises 2 670 km² of indigenous forest and 1 450 km² of plantation forest (although this figure includes 400 km² of coconut). Around 650 km² of the indigenous production forest had been logged to 1990. Another 6 300 km² of forest is protected and other non-commercial forest. Since 1967 an estimated 1 200 km² of forest have been converted to non-forest land uses. This has resulted in a marked change in the distribution of forest types. The drier lowland forests of the main islands have borne the brunt of this deforestation.

“Fiji has had the most aggressive plantation establishment policy of any of the Pacific Islands. The main softwood plantation species grown is Caribbean pine (Pinus Caribaea) mainly under the management of the Fiji Pine Commission. The main hardwood species are mahogany and teak managed by the Fiji Forestry Department. Most of the commercial forests, including the plantations, are located in the dry western ends of the main islands.

“The Fijian Forestry Department Annual Report for 1995 notes industrial timber production in 1995 totalled 562 000 cubic metres of which 130 000 cubic metres was sourced from natural forests, 2 000 cubic metres was hardwood plantation logs, 124 000 cubic metres was softwood plantation logs and 306 000 cubic metres was plantation sourced woodchips. The projections to 2010 assume the natural forest harvest remains constant. The average annual hardwood planting rate 1960-1980 in Fiji was roughly constant at 640 hectares, which on a 35 year rotation could be expected to yield perhaps 180 cubic metres per hectare. There will consequently be a considerable acceleration in the current hardwood plantation harvest, probably to around 120 000 cubic metres. The softwood plantations are operating on a 17 year rotation, which suggests plantings in the early 1990's (around 2 500 hectares per annum) will come on stream in 2010 with a yield of around 230 cubic metres per hectare (Oliver 1992). Consequently, the Fijian forestry sector should be producing more than 800 000 cubic metres of wood in 2010, with potentially an acceleration in the following decade from the hardwood plantations at least.

“Fiji is the third largest plantation producer in the region with its current resource around 100 000 hectares. The Fijian planted forest is divided approximately equally between hardwood and softwood species. Fiji plans to expand the plantation forest by around 7 000 hectares per annum with a target in excess of 160 000 hectares by around 2000. The hardwood forests are expected to form a source of quality sawn timber. The softwood Pinus caribaea is most likely to form a source of export pulpwood.”

Brown, C. 1997. Regional study – the South Pacific. Asia-pacific Forestry Sector Outlook Study, Working Paper No. APFSOS/WP/01. FAO, Rome.

Oliver, W. W. 1992. Plantation Forestry in the South Pacific: A Compilation and Assessment of Practices; Project RAS/86/036, FAO/UNDP.

Future outlook for the forestry sector

“The forestry future for Fiji is promising. The country has invested strongly and early in plantation reforestation which will provide for an expanding harvest over the coming twenty years. The World Bank (1990) quotes a study by Cameron et al which forecasts Fiji's total log production to reach 1 148 000 m³ by 2010 and 1 800 000 m³ by 2020. This will be a significant expansion on current production and given Fiji's determination to process domestically, a significant source of foreign exchange revenue.”

Brown, C. 1997. Regional study – the South Pacific. Asia-pacific Forestry Sector Outlook Study, Working Paper No. APFSOS/WP/01. FAO, Rome.

Land ownership

No information

Protected areas

Area Name	Subclass	Type of area	IUCN Cat.	Size (ha)
Vunimoli	NATIONAL	Nature Reserve	Ia	19
Ravilevu	NATIONAL	Nature Reserve	Ia	4020
Nadarivatu	NATIONAL	Nature Reserve	Ia	93
Naqarabuluti	NATIONAL	Nature Reserve	Ia	279
Tomaniivi	NATIONAL	Nature Reserve	Ia	1322
Vuo Island	NATIONAL	Nature Reserve	Ia	1
Draunibota and Labiko Islands	NATIONAL	Nature Reserve	Ia	2
Draunibota and Labiko Islands	NATIONAL	Nature Reserve	Ia
Namenalala Island	NATIONAL	Nature Reserve	III	43
Yadua Taba Island Crested Iguana Re	NATIONAL	Wildlife Sanctuary	IV	70
J. H. Garrick Memorial FR	NATIONAL	Nature Reserve	IV	428
Colo-i-Suva Forest P	NATIONAL	Forest Park	UA
Sigatoka Sand Dunes National Park a	NATIONAL	National Park	UA
Sigatoka Sand Dunes National Park a	NATIONAL	National Park	UA
Korotari	NATIONAL	Reserved Forest	Ia	1087
Buretolu	NATIONAL	Reserved Forest	Ia	1198

Watershed management

No information

Forest products production, trade and consumption

Contribution of the forestry sector to the country’s economy

“Fiji is a producer and exporter of woodchips, sawn timber and plywood/veneer. Total roundwood production in Fiji is presently approaching 550 000 m³. Roundwood production more than doubled between 1986 and 1989 with pulpwood and sawn timber production the most important components. As with most other aspects of its forest industry, Fiji's processing industries are more sophisticated than other Pacific Islands. Presently, Fiji's production of sawn timber is estimated at around 150 000 m³, with around half of this exported. Almost two-thirds of the production is sourced from the natural forests. Plywood/veneer production is a smaller, but still significant industry. Sandalwood remains a viable production option.”

Brown, C. 1997. Regional study – the South Pacific. Asia-pacific Forestry Sector Outlook Study, Working Paper No. APFSOS/WP/01. FAO, Rome.

Products

Trade (1998)

		Import		Export		Production	Consumption
	Units	Quantity	$US (x1000)	Quantity	$US (x1000)	Quantity	Quantity
Sawnwood	Cum	0	0	24000	7847	131000	107000
Sawnwood (C)	Cum	0	0	12000	5221	64000	52000
Sawnwood (NC)	Cum	0	0	12000	2626	67000	55000
Wood-Based Panels	Cum	2800	728	6600	5037	15600	11800
Veneer Sheets	Cum	0	0	5000	3832	10100	5100
Plywood	Cum	0	0	1600	1205	5500	3900
Particle Board	Cum	400	83	0	0	0	400
Fibreboard	Cum	2400	645	0	0	0	2400
Wood Pulp	Mt	0	0	0	0	0	0
Chemical Wood Pulp	Mt	0	0	0	0	0	0
Paper+Paperboard	Mt	9100	7461	0	0	0	9100
Newsprint	Mt	2300	1419	0	0	0	2300
Printing+Writing Paper	Mt	2000	2187	0	0	0	2000
Other Paper+Paperboard	Mt	4800	3855	0	0	0	4800
Roundwood	Cum	0	0	600	224	594200	593600
Industrial Roundwood	Cum	0	0	600	224	557200	556600
Sawlogs+Veneer Logs	Cum	0	0	0	0	557000	557000
Pulpwood+Particles	Cum	0	0	0	0	0	0
Other Indust. Roundwd.	Cum	0	0	0	0	200	200
Wood Fuel	Cum	0	0	0	0	37000	37000
Other Fibre Pulp	Mt	0	0	0	0	0	0
Recovered Paper	Mt	0	0	0	0	0	0

Fuelwood and wood energy

Year	Fuelwood Production	Charcoal Production	Charcoal Imports	Charcoal Exports
	m3	metric t	metric t	metric t
1991	37 000
1992	37 000
1993	37 000
1994	37 000
1995	37 000
1996	37 000
1997	37 000
1998	37 000
1999