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Soil erosion, overfishing, and urban pollution persist
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To help save the reefs of Fiji , get active with these groups:
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_________ |  While natural phenomena like cyclones and earthquakes have damaged Fijian reefs as a whole, it's soil erosion, mining, sand dredging, and overfishing that are damaging the seas around the capital, Suva. Traditional fishing controls are still enforced in outlying villages, though, helping to maintain a balance between human consumption and the reef's ability to regenerate. There are signs the government is getting serious about coral mining; Fijian prime minister Sitiveni Rabuka said in February 1997 that the country might suspend or ban extraction of coral from reefs. This would be a major turnaround; currently, coral extraction is a $7.6 million business in Fiji and employs roughly 700 people. Rabuka said ministries would review their licensing policies to "better monitor and control the practice and if necessary, to introduce a moratorium or even a total ban" on reef extraction. |
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