Title
Impact of Tropical Cyclone Winston on mud crab fishers in Fiji
Author(s)
Thomas, Alyssa S. ;Vandervord, Chloe ;Fox, Margaret ;Nand, Yashika;Nalasi, Unaisi;Mangubhai, Sangeeta
Published
2018
Publisher
SPC Women in Fisheries Information Bulletin
Abstract
Fiji is highly sensitive to natural disasters, and over the last
four decades half of those experienced by the country were
tropical cyclones (Lal et al. 2009). On 20 February 2016,
Fiji was hit by Category 5 Tropical Cyclone Winston,
which left a trail of destruction along its path over a 24-hour
period. The cyclone damaged or destroyed 30,369 homes,
495 schools and 88 medical facilities, and 44 people
lost their lives (Government of Fiji 2016). Crops were
destroyed on a large scale and the livelihoods of 62% of the
population were affected. The total value of damages and
losses was estimated at FJD 1.99 billion3 and the fisheries
sector, comprising 1.8% of Fiji’s GDP, sustained damages
and losses estimated at over FJD 40.7 million (Government
of Fiji 2016). A post-cyclone village-level assessment led by
the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), the Fiji Locally Managed
Marine Area Network (FLMMA) and partners,
documented losses in boats, engines, fishing and postharvest
gear totalling FJD 2,960,139 across six provinces
(Chaston Radway et al. 2016). Losses in fishing gear and
infrastructure impacted key fisheries such as coral reef
fish, sea cucumbers, prawns, shrimp and mud crabs. Data
collected in the assessment were sex-disaggregated to look
at how the cyclone impacted men versus women
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