Vacation with a Green Conscience at Matava Fiji's Premier Eco Resort | Peachy Green

Matava Fiji's Premier Eco Resort is big fun on a small energy budget

Let’s be realistic. Travel usually leaves a big carbon footprint. Even among the most eco-sensitive of us, its hard to get away without wasting energy and using fuel.

But, you can vacation with a green conscience atMatava Fiji’s Premier Eco Resort. Located on Kadavu, south of the main Fiji island, Matava is a100% off-grid, solar powered resort that uses minimal electricity while providing maximum fun!

Only 22 guests at a time can be accommodated at Matava. All meals are prepared on site and served community style.

Matava offers diving, snorkeling, fishing, kayaking, boating, ocean swimming, bird watching and more. It is nestled near the beach, surrounded by tropical rain forest. Because there are no roads that reach this area of the island, everything must be brought in or out by boat – or grown locally. When I visited last week, the main attraction for the other guests was the amazing scuba diving (something I will have to take up soon!)

Day dawning at Matava Fiji's Premier Eco Resort

Matava has its own organic gardens which provide fruits, vegetables and herbs for its menu. Extra seeds are provided to families in nearby villages, too. Several times a month, recyclable materials from Matava – including plastics and paper – are picked up and hauled out by boat. No pesticides or herbicides are used at the resort.

Matava Fiji’s Premier Eco Resort has been awarded a number of honors and accolades as a result of its green practices. These include:

• Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Award, Marine Environment Category (World Travel Show 2010)
• Excellence in Tourism Award (Accommodation Budget 1999)
• Project Aware Marine Environmental Award
• Founder: Shark-Free Marina

Pristine, preserved environment at Matava on Kadavu, Fiji

Several important causes of Matava Fiji’s Premier Eco Resort are:

• Saving sharks
• Educating villagers about environmental preservation
• Minimizing energy use
• Working to establish and maintain marine reserves
• Coral reef education and preservation

Not only is Matava involved in education and raising awareness locally concerning environmental issues, but the resort also has resources for its guests to review.

Community outreach is a primary focus of Matava, as well. The owners believe that, by teaching young children the importance of sustainability and preservation at an early age, they will grow up with a deep understanding of and respect for natural resources.

Can you believe it – a resort that not only conserves energy and helps the environment as a result of its own practices, but also works to encourage others to do the same!

Yes, you can vacation with a green conscience at Matava Fiji’s Premier Eco Resort.

Vacation with a Green Conscience at Matava Fiji's Premier Eco Resort | Peachy Green

Renewable Energy Developing in Fiji | Peachy Green

I just returned from a week in the Fiji Islands, in the South Pacific.

The 333-island archipelago is located east of New Zealand and Australia and southwest of Hawaii, with only about 100 islands inhabited. The entire population is less than 900,000.

Renewable energy has been developing in Fiji for some time now. In fact, the Fiji government has adopted a Strategic Development Plan as part of its ambitious goal to become a 100% renewable energy power-reliant by 2011. There are several reasons why the government is promoting non-fossil fuel based resources:

• Less expensive
• More convenient
• Easier to install and maintain
• Infrastructure needs are usually minimal
• Smaller carbon footprint – i.e. more environmentally friendly

Solar panels at Matava Fiji's Premier Eco Resort

Diesel costs have dramatically soared to over 200% over the last 4 years, yet 50% of electricity demand in Fiji is met by diesel generators. No wonder there is increasing usage of solar panels and wind energy there.

On Kadavu, south of the main island of Fiji, solar power is just about the only resource for turning on lights or using electricity. All of the cell towers are solar powered. The island is off-grid, which means you can only communicate with cell phones (where there is service) and wireless internet and other electrical-based uses are quite limited.

At Matava Fiji’s Premier Eco-Resort, electricity needs are minimal, given ample skylights, wide and open areas, and louvered windows that allow breezes to naturally cool the rooms. Most of the time, all electricity requirements are covered by the solar panels at the resort.

Renewable Energy Developing in Fiji | Peachy Green

Shark Free Marinas: Reducing worldwide shark mortality.

Matava – Fiji’s Premier Eco Adventure Resort and Bite Me Gamefishing Charters take the leading role in the world with a major shark conservation initiative in the gamefishing community.

KADAVU, FIJI ISLANDS – 14 July 2009 – Matava – Fiji’s Premier Eco-Adventure Resort and Bite Me Gamefishing Charters are proud to take a world wide leading role in the the international Shark-Free Marina Initiative.

The international Shark-Free Marina Initiative works with marinas, boaters and fishermen to develop policy designed to protect a vital component of the oceans health, our sharks.

Matava Director Stuart Gow said:

"We have worked hard over the past few months in Fiji at certifying many marinas and charter fishing boats as ‘Shark-Free Marinas’ and so far have more than any other country worldwide.

Matava and Bite Me Gamefishing Charters was the first in Fiji to sign up and is actively promoting, coordinating and distributing information about the Initiative. We are working towards when Fiji can be the first country to be proud to announce itself as a ‘Shark-Free Marinas’ Country!” he continued.

The majority of shark species caught by recreational and sport anglers are currently listed by the IUCN as ‘Threatened’ (or worse) and each year an average of a ½ Million of these sharks are killed in the United States alone. It is estimated that 70-100 million sharks are killed yearly world wide!

Bite Me Gamefishing Charters actively avoids fishing for any species of shark and encourages this practice to be followed by all. By encouraging non-lethal ‘catch-and-release’ shark fishing fishermen and those sharks inevitably caught accidentally can enjoy their sport while ensuring that shark populations are not further diminished. By promoting sustainable practices of ocean management we hope that sharks will be around to keep our oceans healthy for generations to come.

Many Fiji marinas and charter operations are already listed on the Shark-Free Marina website as well as having the right to use the SFMI logo and signs for their own publicity. We are now in the process of distributing the stickers, posters and metal dock signs to registered businesses, charter boats and marinas.

The SFMI website also has an education centre that we hope everyone will find useful, it includes tips on how to catch and release shark, a list of Endangered and Threatened species plus information on how they can help protect the ocean.

“At Matava, and Bite Me Gamefishing Charters we are of course both happy and proud to be spearheading this initiative in the South Pacific and indeed the World” said Matava Director and Bite Me Gamefishing Charter Captain, Captain Adrian Watt.

“We also see this as a great step forward and opportunity for all gamefishing and sportfishing charter boats, both on Kadavu and in the Fiji Islands, to move forward in their standards to achieve truly world class levels of service and capabilities demonstrated by the ‘catch and release’ programs.”

Captain Watt finished by saying “We would like to thank all friends and clients of Matava and Bite Me Gamefishing Charters past and present who have contributed to the success of our ecotouirsm principles and the resort and we look forward to exciting times ahead.”

The Shark-Free Marina Initiative has a singular purpose, to reduce worldwide shark mortality. We encourage shark conservation at sport fishing and resort marinas by prohibiting the landing of any shark at the participating marina. The SFMI works with marinas, fishermen and like minded non-profit groups to form community conscious policy and increase awareness of the need to protect our sharks, our ocean and our legacy.

Matava – Fiji’s Premier Eco Adventure Resort, is an eco adventure getaway offering you a fun and unique blend of cultural experiences and adventure activities in the environmentally pristine and remote island of Kadavu in the Fiji Islands. Matava – Fiji Premier Eco Adventure Resort is a PADI Dive Resort as well as a Project AWARE GoEco Operator. With more than 12 years experience in the Fiji Islands, Matava is recognized as a leading educational dive centre. Matava offers accommodation for up to 22 guests in lush tropical surroundings in traditional thatched Fijian ‘bures’ with hardwood polished floors, louvre windows and private decks offering privacy, comfort and superb ocean views.

Bite-Me Gamefishing Charters is our on-site IGFA game fishing specialists offering the best of superb record breaking blue water game fishing for tuna, wahoo, sailfish and marlin. As an active member of IGFA and The Billfish Association we advocate tag and release of all billfish and Trevally not deemed to be a National or World Record.

www.Matava.com www.GamefishingFiji.com

Shark Free Marinas: Reducing worldwide shark mortality.