Uto ni Yalo celebrates International Year of the Reef

Fiji Times, Jan 16, 2018 – THE Uto ni Yalo Trust embarks on a 13-day voyage to celebrate the International Year of the Reef. The voyage is to coincide with the World Wide Fund (WWF) Pacific-led dive and snorkel in the Great Sea Reef on January 17 and to be attended by Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama and United Nations Special Envoy for the Ocean, Peter Thomson. The 72-foot vessel will host the high-level ocean event by taking passengers to coral reefs that are at various stages of recovery from bleaching or destructive fishing practices. Passengers will include the traditional owners of the fishing ground, qoliqoli cokovata, as well as private sector and civil society leaders keen to be part of the experience to dive and snorkel in the Great Sea Reef that supplies almost 80 per cent of Fiji’s domestic seafood.