Share
The Great Sea Reef, locally known as the “Cakaulevu'' is the southern hemisphere’s third longest continuous barrier reef system. Running over 200 km in length from the island of Vanua Levu to the Yasawa Islands, the Great Sea Reef is a hotspot for biodiversity with a high value coral real, two major deltas, mangrove systems, sea grasses for turtles and fish nursery grounds and four of the six major rivers of the country draining into the Reef.
The Great Sea Reef has been part of the Fijian lifestyle for centuries, providing sustenance and protection and supporting a diverse range of industries from fishing to tourism. This unique landscape was facing numerous challenges - such as rapid population growth, urban expansion and frequent intense cyclones. The Fijian government along with local communities designated a number of marine protected areas (MPAs) and set aside areas for continued fishing and economic use, but Fijian officials knew a more comprehensive plan was needed.
Led by Fijian government ministries, a partnership with WWF-Pacific, the Lab, The Earth Care Agency and other partners was created in 2017 that launched the Great Sea Reef Resilience programme. The aim was to ensure the reef and coastal ecosystems were healthy and resilient to climate change by developing holistic land and marine use management, financial systems for regenerative production and strengthening systems for removal of waste and pollution.
The Lab supported the Great Sea Reef Resilience programme by facilitating a flow of funds to catalyse stakeholder engagement and early stage scoping of sustainable investments. The Lab carried out a comprehensive analysis of the multiple regenerative sectors and from there developed the financial tools to strengthen and assist private sector enterprises. The eventual result of this work was the formation of Matanataki, a dedicated financial partnership which sources investable businesses and attracts international investors, including private investors and international development institutions.
Total Area
2,800,000 Hectares
Ecosystem Type
Coastal & Reef
Commodity Production Landscapes
activity types
Sustainable agriculture
Sustainable fishing
Landscape and marine corridors
Green jobs
Landscape Approaches
Integrated water resources management
Species protection landscape
Sustainable production landscape
commodities
Fisheries/Seafood
funding Source
Public
Multilateral
Philanthropic
Institutional
Next funding milestone
28 Million USD
Incubation stage
1
Discover
2
Structure
3
Develop
4
Fund
Sustainable Development Goals