SUVA, June 28 (Xinhua) -- All Fijians have a collective responsibility to ensure that Fiji's forests resources are managed sustainably and it lasts for the future, a Fijian minister said on Friday.
Minister for Forests Osea Naiqamu said at Fiji's second largest island Vanua Levu that there has to be a balance between generating income from forests and protecting the environment so it could be sustainable for the future generation.
"This means that while we want to create wealth from our forest resources, we have to strike a balance between generating economic activity on the one hand and expanding our resources and protecting our natural environment and ecosystems on the other hand," he said.
The minister urged the stakeholders to work closely with the government to address key issues that affect the society, from sustainable forests management to economic growth and climate change.
He said Fiji continues to play a leading role in the world in promoting climate change and this has very close connections with forestry because forests can be used to mitigate climate change.
