About Us


We are Beqa Adventure Divers, one of Fiji’s leading ecotourism operators and dive shops.
Apart from taking people reef diving and wreck diving in Beqa Lagoon and diving with our Sharks, we manage a holistic conservation project aimed at protecting the marine environment whilst cooperating with local stakeholders.

Whereas we have always strived to minimize our impact on the environment, we have never quite been able to substantially reduce our carbon footprint. Our vessels, our compressor and our vehicle are vital to our business, but the resulting yearly carbon emissions are high and very disturbing indeed.

Global carbon trading is on the increase and we could have easily paid money to an intermediary who would have then financed a forest or windmills in a far away country. Being however beholden to Fiji, we have searched for a home-grown alternative, alas in vain.
We have thus decided to run such a project ourselves.

Mangals are one of the South Pacific’s most critically important and yet, most threatened habitats.
They are especially important for us who are engaged in marine conservation as they not only protect the coastlines but are also vital nurseries for many species of marine life ranging from Crustaceans to Fishes but also Sharks. At the same time, they are excellent carbon sinks as they sequester more carbon than many of the various terrestrial forests. Mangroves are thus an ideal vehicle for promoting marine conservation, mitigating the effects of climate change whilst offsetting our own carbon emissions in the process.

In our quest to become completely carbon neutral, we are offsetting all of our carbon emissions by planting a corresponding number of mangroves in Fiji.

2010 the Year of Biodiversity and this has spawned various global and regional initiatives.
The IUCN is rolling out MESCAL, a regional project aimed at protecting and re-establishing Mangals which dovetails beautifully with our effort. Fiji’s Department of Forestry is aiming at planting 1 million trees and as Mangroves are trees, we have been able to link our project to their country-wide undertaking. The Department of Fisheries and Department of Environment consider Mangrove habitats essential in their effort to preserve the country’s natural resources. Other NGOs in Fiji have long run ongoing Mangrove projects and were happy to assist us. We were thus fortunate to be able to partner with these institutions, a fact that has helped enormously in acquiring the necessary know-how but above all, in liaising with willing Mangrove planters.

In line with our belief that in order to achieve sustainable results, we need to co-operate with local stakeholders, we have decided to preferentially engage with Fijian villages and settlements, schools and grassroots initiatives whilst availing ourselves of the welcome mediation by the various Government Departments.

We shall operate and pay for a small project team that will be on call for establishing and keeping all the necessary contacts, inspect sites, share information, disburse the funds and assist any partners in Fiji and abroad.
 
They are:
Sivo, Nani and Arthur
 
Arthur Sokimi
Arthur has studied Marine Science at Fiji’s University of the South Pacific and is now our resident marine scientist. He has gardered a wealth of information about the subject and ironed out the initial kinks by co-running our pilot project in Galoa. He is the principal project manager and eager to assist in any way possible.

Sivorosi “Sivo” Naivua
Sivo is the President of the Galoa Village Youth and one of the absolvents of our village youth sponsorship programs. Having worked for Oisca, he has extensive experience in planting Mangroves and has co-managed our successful pilot project.

Nanise “Nani” Ledua
Nani is Beqa Adventure Divers’ Office Manager and the heart and soul of the operation. She brings to the table unmatched networking and organizational skills and is likely to be your first point of contact when you call the company.
 
 
Beqa Adventure Divers is a Kutoa Community Impact Award 2012