Environment & Sustainability

Treasure’s commitment to regenerating our reefs means we seek to continuously improve our practices and methodologies to increase our success rates. We actively monitor and maintain our coral nursery to ensure the best chances of survival. In fact we are so passionate about our reefs that we recently hosted a workshop bringing together representatives from the tourism industry, private and government sectors to share ideas and find positive ways to increase survival rates of coral gardening projects to ensure higher success across the region!

Programs such as this are recognised globally as one way to address the challenges faced by our reefs. Over time we will gradually increase the number of transplanted corals to create and regenerate habitat which in turn will attract more beautiful fish life to our marine reserve.

We identify suitable colonies of Acropora and Pocillopora species, recognised as fast growing corals with resilience to coral bleaching. You can see the coral growing racks as you snorkel around the island! This is one of many marine activities we run with the objective of protecting and enhancing our marine reserve for generations to come.

Traditional Medicinal Plants

The Fijian people remain reliant on traditional natural medicine approaches and medicinal plants are always a first choice for treatment before turning to modern medicine. Fiji abounds with reports of the incredible successes of traditional medicinal approaches, and the conservation of traditional ways of life is a critical part of Fijian culture.

One story sent the international popularity of traditional Fijian medicine soaring! In 2015 Waisake Naholo, a Fijian playing for New Zealand, suffered a broken leg during a match against Argentina, ruling him out of the squad for the upcoming World Cup. Naholo refused to give in and travelled to Fiji to visit his uncle from Nadroumai for traditional treatment. Following treatment which involved kawakawarau leaves being applied to the injured leg for a number of days, Naholo was able to return to the game fit and healthy. He credits the special healing talents of his family and the leaves from this village with his ability to play in the World Cup.

On Treasure we grow various medicinal plants and herbs, many of which are utilised by our staff! We also hold regular Herbal Medicine Talks to share this traditional knowledge with visitors to our island. This is one of many ancient practices passed down through generations that contribute to the rich cultural heritage of Fiji.

Native Revegetation Programme

Treasure is a sand cay with no naturally occurring fresh water. Whilst this is a blessing in that we rarely get mosquitoes, it makes life for our vegetation very challenging indeed! Our Environment and Sustainability Policy formalises our approach to planting on Treasure and we prioritise native vegetation suitable to the challenging conditions. We also strive to plant species that provide habitat and food for the wildlife that live. The conservation program aims to continuously enhance the biodiversity of our island paradise and support ever growing populations of the rare and beautiful species calling Treasure home.

Fijian Crested Iguanas

The Fijian Crested Iguana is native to Fiji and closely related to the more widespread Banded Iguana. Sadly they are now becoming very rare in the wild, with some islands having already reached extinction status. It is thought there may now be more held in captivity than are left in the wild. Crested Iguana numbers are rapidly declining across Fiji due to predation from natural and invasive species, habitat destruction, and illegal trade.

Treasure has a wild breeding population of the Critically Endangered Fijian Crested Iguana. We ensure suitable native habitat and a predator free environment. As part of the conservation program we have a photo database to try to identify individuals by their stripes and markings to better understand the population dynamics and circumvent potential genetic bottlenecks.

Island refuges such as Treasure now offer one of the few safe environments for this rare species to live and breed in safety. We started with just one pair of iguanas and now have an unknown number living on the island, including at least one breeding pair! We aim to take this project from strength to strength and with a goal of helping to reintroduce them into the wild. If you are lucky enough to encounter one of our wild ones, we appreciate any photographs; however please don’t harass them as they are wild creatures! Every afternoon you can get up close and personal with our friendly resident iguanas, helping to feed them their favourite hibiscus flowers and papaya!

Treasure Island Nature Reserve

We are very proud of the diverse wildlife to be seen here on Treasure Island. Our conservation program aims to have minimal impact upon the native animal species and habitats found on and around the island. We have native Fijian species which have been introduced to the island in an effort to help protect them and give them a safe haven. These species are in decline across the country due to multiple threats from farming, habitat loss and introduced predators. For example the Buff-Banded Rails and Fijian Red Shining Parrot, now endangered species, have been thriving on Treasure since they were introduced 15 years ago, illustrating the success of our long term conservation efforts.

Treasure Island has a proactive stance on local community engagement. We invite local handicraft vendors to visit Treasure regularly to support our local villages in traditional Fijian made products. We run regular trips with our guests and Kids Club to visit the local village and experience traditional Fijian village life and immerse themselves in traditional culture. We work with local partners to promote locally run tours and side trips. Our boutique stocks locally made products wherever possible and supports the national “Fijian Made and Buy Fijian” initiative. Food & Beverage departments choose local produce and products over imported whenever local options are available, minimising ‘food miles’ and supporting local businesses and farmers. We host local school visits and contribute to environmental education and awareness; and distribute funds raised through guest activities to the village school to fund projects in the local community.

Following Cyclone Winston, Treasure Island supported four villages from the Vuda District during cyclone recovery. Whilst relying on generators due to power line damage, Treasure donated fuel to help keep power in Viseisei Village. We also implemented a mosquito control programme to address the threat of increasing cases of mosquito borne diseases such as Dengue, Zika and Chikungunya following Cyclone Winston. Treasure implemented a systematic spraying programme to target mosquitoes in four villages of the Vuda District.

We recognise the importance of building awareness and education into the programmes that we run. For any conservation initiative to be successful requires effective communication of clearly identified aims and objectives. We aim to engage guests in our conservation programme at all levels: from specifically designed Kids Club activities, to wider general awareness and contribution. Activities range from rock pooling to beach surveys and clean-up activities. Supporting materials display our ongoing programme and highlight areas in which guests can contribute. We also work with local schools to promote environmental awareness and host students for marine conservation activities and educational tours to facilitate learning of the value of nature based tourism and environmental sustainability. We respect the traditional culture of our landowners and seek to incorporate this into the resort to provide a uniquely authentic Fijian experience.