Written by Kylie Barton

‘The Ocean as our lungs’ was the main theme of the Pacific Blue Economy Conference that was held at the end of August in Suva. The United Nations Resident Coordinator to the Pacific, Osnat Lubrani, said that the ocean is compromised, and as a result so…

Written by Kylie Barton

We are extremely excited here at Island Spirit that the International Civil Society meeting will be held here in Fiji, Suva to be exact, at the end of this year. This is the 14^th occurrence of the event, which provides a platform for key civil society…

Written by Kylie Barton

Here at IS when we read a headline about people dumping things in our beautiful oceans here in Fiji we can’t help but get a little emotional. Earlier this month, it was found that a Chinese tuna vessel has been caught in that very act. The…

How to Remain Environmentally Optimistic During This Presidency

Written By Kylie Barton

With the election of a climate change denier to the White House, it would be easy for those of us who consider ourselves conservationists and environmentalists to throw up our hands in dismay and give up hope. This however,…

Written By Kylie Barton

Here at Island Spirit, sustainability is our core, which makes us very happy to learn that Sri Lanka, one of our new destinations, is working with India to end the destructive practice of bottom trawling.

So, what is trawling?

Basically, it is a big boat pulling an even…

Written by Kylie Barton

It has been all go here at IS! Island Spirit is the first company with WFTO (World Fair Trade Organisation) membership to trade with any Pacific Island Country. It is also the first WFTO to specialise in responsible travel.

At Island Spirit we work with the local…

Written by Kylie Barton

As the Coral Reef controversy surrounding dredging and the Great Barrier Reef continues, Island Spirit thought it would be a nice idea to look at some different coral reef management methods to see who is trying to protect what, how, and what is proving…

Written by Kylie Barton

Giant Clams are one of the biggest unsung heroes of the coral reef system. Here at IS we fully support the current work of the Ministry of Fisheries in Fiji who are working to repopulate the Taveuni reefs (along with others) with…

Written by Kylie Barton

The most important message to come out of the 5^th annual World Ecotourism Conference held in the Philippines last weekend was that for sustainable tourism to work it must focus on generating more opportunities for local communities that keep marine life thriving; not dying.

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Written by Kylie Barton

Shark finning has become a hot topic again in the Pacific region recently, with New Zealand and Australia implementing new laws banning the practice to tackle the crisis last month. But in Fiji, the crisis continues.

In Fiji alone,…

Written by Kirsty Barnby

Shark facts for y’all!

• Sharks are shy, hesitant animals which have a hard time like any other.
• Soda pop machine kill more people in a year than sharks do.
• Road traffic accidents kill 1,200,000. Sharks kill about 5 people per year.
• Elephants kill more people than sharks.

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