FLMMA: Fiji's Community-Led Network of Marine Protected Areas

Established in 2001 and built on the traditional Fijian practice of tabu, or temporary fishing bans, FLMMA is a network of coastal communities, conservation NGOs, government departments, and academic institutions collaborating to manage Fiji's nearshore marine resources. Villages designate reef and mangrove tabu areas as no-take zones and pair them with livelihood projects like mangrove replanting, ecotourism, and aquaculture to offset lost fishing income. The network has grown from a single community initiative in Verata in the 1990s into one of the Pacific's largest community-based marine management movements.