WSL “destroyed delicate balance” between Fijian communities during Finals Day grand slam

"The Fiji Government is the treasurer of our hard earned tax paying money - we can't afford to pay millions to foreign companies to use our natural resources for their economic gains."

A light fury erupted on these pages one week ago when the World Surf League was slammed by indigenous Fijian groups on the eve of Finals Day for “exploiting Fiji’s ocean and people.”

Two Fijian-based groups, Fiji Surf Co and Bati Protector, turned on the mighty surf contest administrator, labelling it “exploitative.”

Click here for a little background although the central thesis was this, the WSL needs Fiji more than the Fijians need the slight economic kick from two weeks of full houses at Tavarua and Momi Bay.

“We don’t need to give you millions of our poor hard working tax payers money to market your own event so you can get rich off Fiji while the resource owners don’t get any money!”

Following the event, BeachGrit received a missive from these indigenous Fijian groups who said the government’s lavishing of cash on the billionaire-owned surf league had driven a wedge between various local groups.

“You know, after the WSL was gone it left many local villagers upset with ill-feeling between the governing body Fiji Surfing Association that got paid by WSL and resource owners who got nothing. This is why the WSL needs to be careful. The delicate balance they destroy between the communities when they control and show disrespect to the true people not foreigners like Tavarua or Marriott or local operators that monopolise their service not sharing with resource owners.

“WSL are users, exploiters and don’t care about the bad impacts that their business has here.”

A letter from Fiji Surf Co’s Ian Muller has since been circulated to media outlets in Fiji, which provides a window into how it all works in that pretty archipelago.

My name is Ian Ravouvou Muller ( Kini ) and I was born in Kiribati from my Dads side but my mother comes from Namoli Village in Lautoka – Mataqali : Ketenatukani / Tokatoka : Matalaqere. Our blood lineage comes from the Bati Warrior Chief Ravato who was one of the Guardian’s and Protector’s of most our coastline between Lautoka and Momi area. Tabanivono are the fishing rights owners (Qoliqoli) of Kurukuru mai Lagi wave ( Thundercloud / Cloudbreak) and are from 2 villages made up of Nabila and Momi.

Hundreds of years back, Ravato was requested by Nabila to help their small village to fight the wars from invaders. Ravato carried out his duty with other Bati Warriors to win the wars and therefore given land in Nabila village as guardians of the land and ocean. Today I carry on the Legacy of my forefather Bati War Chief Ravato to fight for our current generations of Fijians and the generations to come liberating them from the chains of injustice.

Back in July 2010 Fiji’s Surf Law was passed by our government and unveiled to the world for all to surf. We were instrumental in exposing the wrongs of corruption and opening this prime real estate by busting down the door of exclusive wave access from foreigners that would not even allow unrestricted access for locals to surf their our own waves!

We thought that the Surf Law would deter the monopoly and controlling ways of big corporate companies trying to muscle in on this Billion Dollar wave stadium. Obviously the clauses in the current Surf Law is not strong enough and im glad this policy reform is in present review and timely to look at the ways of protecting resource owners from disrespect, greed and blatant exploitation.

Don’t get me wrong – we want International ocean based competitions to come to Fiji but to play fair, accountable and transparent with our people especially. Don’t pull the drape over our Governments eyes saying how you will market our country or waves – Fiji stands strong in our values, beliefs and resources and we know our ocean in particular our reefs create some of the best waves on the planet – WSL needs Fiji more than Fiji needs WSL.

“Pay to Play” is all we ask. The poor villagers have not been paid fairly for this WSL competition – only last year 1 time payment for the usage of their reef. The village’s and wave have been taken advantage of by foreign exploitation for close to 50 years and ASP / WSL has been coming here for approx 20-25 years. WSL seeks millions $$ payment from our debt stricken govt ( 11 Billion Debt / 14 Billion GDP ) to surf our waves for their multi million dollar business.

It’s only right that if you are making commercial gains you pay for this precious ocean resource you are capitalising on.. The ocean is not that different to land in the Pacific Island context – abroad where the ocean belongs to everyone. In the Pacific our people have certain ownership rights like fishing rights for their food subsistence so this “ Yaubula “ is treasured.

Our world is in dire straights due to exploitation of this planet and the Pacific is more vulnerable than most of our world yet the Pacific is the least contributor to such devastation. We are destroying our planet and its important we try our best to restore it though PPP – Pay Play and Protect or Profit / People / Planet. Corporate companies coming to monetise our ocean needs to apply this RULE and if they dont we need to call them out to hold them to account – as well the Government if they fail in their duty to serve the people and their inherited resources.

One in Four people in Fiji are below the poverty line – Fijians don’t have millions to pay WSL to surf our waves. The Government is undervaluing our natural resources and painting a false picture that Fiji is rich – yes in natural resources but not in money. The stats speak for themselves – im just calling it how it is and should be bringing accountability, clarity and moral ethics to both WSL and the Government for not seeing this as it is. “ Injustice to the people by exposing the exploitation of natural resources of which our ancestors fought hard to protect and preserve for us today so that we can prosper and not be taken advantage of”

The Government is the treasurer of our hard earned tax paying money – we cant afford to pay millions to foreign companies to use our natural resources for their economic gains when some families are struggling with food, drugs, homelessness, poverty, environmental degradation, education and a range of other socio-economic issues currently facing Fiji. We have to correct this wrong and make it right otherwise we suffer from our own negligence and incompetence.

There are many facts I would like to share with you over the past 30yrs that we have been involved in Fijian Surfing – pioneering it from the beginning with a great deal of hardships and adversity coming from foreign companies that have stifled Fijians from growing. Imagine if the villages of Nabila and Momi were given fair opportunities and compensation for this unique wave resource to improve their livelihood from the very beginning?? The villages would be a thriving success business story.

Up-skilling their people and fellow Fijians to become entrepreneurs managing their own world class wave natural resource making this a beacon of hope to other Fijian villages. Fiji is precious and we are fortunate that our forefathers fought to protect close to 95% of our land and ocean for the people as custodians – the Government is the facilitator.

I advocate today what our ancestors fought for in the past and for those villages now that do not have a voice to fight for their dignity and the rights over their natural resources.

Im exercising my constitutional right to free speech and my divine right as a proud resource owner to expose the wrong and educate for the right.

A little poll: hands up who thinks the Fiji gov should continue to sponsor a CT event and holler if you think very bad idea.