Fiji · Samoa · Solomon Islands · Vanuatu
The reef in front of the village is managed, and sometimes closed
Community-managed marine areas and tabu closures are conservation tools with local legal force.
Much of the inshore Pacific is managed by the communities next to it. Villages close sections of reef under a tabu — a period during which nobody fishes there so stocks can recover — and community-managed marine areas set rules on gear, species and seasons. These are not advisory. Ask before you fish, collect or anchor.
Qoliqoli
In Fiji, inshore fishing grounds have recognised holders
Fijian coastal waters are divided into traditional fishing grounds (qoliqoli) associated with specific communities. Fishing, spearfishing and collecting there involve the holding community. For a visitor this means: ask through your accommodation, and take a local guide rather than assuming open water.
Reference: Fiji Ministry of iTaukei Affairs
Tabu
A closed area may look exactly like an open one
A tabu area is often marked only by knowledge, or by a few sticks and a length of cloth. Entering to fish or collect shells during a closure is a serious matter locally, even when nothing about the water looks different. The safe rule is to treat every reef next to a village as someone's managed ground until you are told otherwise.
Reference: Locally-Managed Marine Area Network
Diving
Go with operators who work with the community
Established dive and snorkel operators have arrangements with the communities holding the sites they use, and part of your fee usually flows back. That arrangement is also what keeps sites open. Freelancing on a reef you found on a satellite map does the opposite.
- No standing on coral, no gloves-on handling, no collecting
- Anchor on sand or use a mooring
- Reef-safe sunscreen or, better, a rash vest
Seafood
Some species should not be on your plate
Turtle, giant clam and some reef fish are protected or restricted in parts of the region, and demand from visitors is part of the pressure on them. If you are offered something you are unsure about, decline. Regional fisheries and environment agencies publish current guidance for each country.
Reference: The Pacific Community (SPC)
Questions visitors ask
How do I know if a reef is under tabu?
You generally cannot tell by looking. Ask at your accommodation or the nearest village — the answer is well known locally.
Can I fish from the shore?
Not without asking. Inshore areas are usually associated with a specific community, and subsistence fishing rights matter to the people living there.
Is it all right to buy shell jewellery?
Some shells and all turtle shell are restricted for export and may be seized on your way home. Buy woven, carved or printed crafts instead.
Revised August 2026. Protocol varies by island and by village; on the ground your host is the authority.