Objectives

The principal elements of Fijian forest policy have remained largely unchanged during the past half-century. A Forest Policy was approved in 1950, with the following key forest management objectives:

  • protect and develop natural vegetation where its retention is necessary for climatic reasons and for the conservation of soil and water necessary for good agriculture and continuous supplies of forest produce;
  • promote the production & export of economically produced timber products;
  • maintain and improve soil fertility by preserving or extending forest cover;
  • monitor soil erosion and to recover areas already eroded.

A National Forests Action Plan (NFAP) was finalized in 1990, leading to the identification of 29 projects in the fields of forest management and industrial development, forestry in land use, conservation and institutional strengthening. A subsequent Forestry Sector Review has resulted in the incorporation of additional recommendations into the NFAP to help promote sustainable forest management.

More recently, a Fiji Government Strategic Plan was developed for 2002 - 2005, issuing its goal as ¿sustainable management and development of forest resources¿ intended to:

  • provide an appropriate institutional & physical infrastructure to support the development of the sector;
  • ensure sustainable development & management of forestry resources;
  • promote community-owned & managed forest-processing & value-adding facilities based on indigenous forests & community-owned plantations.
last updated: Tuesday, November 24, 2009