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Greenpeace oceans campaAigner Lagi Toribau boards the Chinese mothership, or 'reefer', the 'Tai Xing', at sea in Micronesian waters.
magnify imageFive years on, I'm still busy trying to raise awareness and motivate Pacific Island leaders and their communities to protect their environment and natural heritage.
Growing up, I was always really passionate about the environment; I'm the youngest of seven children, and all members of my family live by very strong traditional ethics. I was one of the few pacific islanders to have the opportunity to go to a European school and to university. I then worked as a deck officer on board an inter-insular vessel serving all the Fiji islands before undertaking Maritime security and administration training and beginning work at Greenpeace. I feel I'm one of the new generation of Pacific Islanders who've realized the obligation we have to take a stand against the environmental meltdown facing the Pacific.
My job as Pacific Oceans Campaigner involves working regionally with the 17 Pacific
Island Forum countries to develop and implement Greenpeace's oceans work. One of the key parts of the work is ensuring that the people of the pacific practice sustainable and equitable fishing. My work involves policy advocacy and lobbying, technical support, training and a broad range of advisory support on all aspects of fisheries management.
In the past few years I've had the opportunity to lead two ship tours in the region and have been the leading political advisor to all the regional political meetings. In June I attended the annual Pacific Forum Fisheries Committee meeting in Wellington where the Greenpeace work I presented made a big splash.
When it comes down to it, my passion is really with the ocean, because I understand the importance of the sea to my people, culture, family and fellow pacific islanders. The village where I was born and raised in Fiji is 'floating' - so it's pretty much as real a coastal Pacific Island coastal community as you can get.
Growing up, I was always really passionate about the environment; I'm the youngest of seven children, and all members of my family live by very strong traditional ethics. I was one of the few pacific islanders to have the opportunity to go to a European school and to university. I then worked as a deck officer on board an inter-insular vessel serving all the Fiji islands before undertaking Maritime security and administration training and beginning work at Greenpeace. I feel I'm one of the new generation of Pacific Islanders who've realized the obligation we have to take a stand against the environmental meltdown facing the Pacific.
My job as Pacific Oceans Campaigner involves working regionally with the 17 Pacific
Island Forum countries to develop and implement Greenpeace's oceans work. One of the key parts of the work is ensuring that the people of the pacific practice sustainable and equitable fishing. My work involves policy advocacy and lobbying, technical support, training and a broad range of advisory support on all aspects of fisheries management.
In the past few years I've had the opportunity to lead two ship tours in the region and have been the leading political advisor to all the regional political meetings. In June I attended the annual Pacific Forum Fisheries Committee meeting in Wellington where the Greenpeace work I presented made a big splash.
When it comes down to it, my passion is really with the ocean, because I understand the importance of the sea to my people, culture, family and fellow pacific islanders. The village where I was born and raised in Fiji is 'floating' - so it's pretty much as real a coastal Pacific Island coastal community as you can get.
