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Wiawi is an important turtle-nesting site in Vanuatu known for hawksbill and green turtles. The significance of the area came to light after independence in the 1980s following forest conservation interests by the Forestry Department, which resulted in the setting up of the Wiawi Conservation Area. With the support of the Wan Smolbag (WSB) turtle monitoring programme in the 1990s, the community of Wiawi embarked on interventions towards strengthening sea turtle monitoring and conservation in Wiawi through the request from Chief Timothy and his brother Chief Konel Nihapi. These two community elders had worked very hard to establish the Wiawi Conservation Area and invested their time and energy to making Wiawi one of the leading community-based turtle conservation areas in the country.

Wiawi hemi wan impoten nesting saet blong totel long Vanuatu menly blong Hawksbill totel mo Green totel. Pipol oli kam save Impotens blong eria ia long saed blong totel afta long indipendens long ol yia 1990 tru long wok blong Dipatmen blong Forestry. Ol wok ia i lid i ko long setap blong Wiawi Konsevesen Eria. Afta long taem ia Wan Smol Bag (WSB) Totel Monitaring Prokram i stat mo trenem ol kominiti long fasin blong lukaotem totel. Kominiti blong Wiawi i statem wok wetem totel long taem ia blong setemap monitaring mo konsevesen blong totel tru long rikwes blong Jif Timothy mo brata blong hem Jif Konel Nihapi. Tufala olfala i wok had tumas blong sitemap Wiawi Konsevesen Eria mo investem taem mo eneji blong mekem se Wiawi hemi kam wan liding komiuniti-bes konsevesen eria blong totel long kaontri.

Science of Pacific Island peoples : Fauna, Flora, Food & Medicine. Vol.3. Edited by John Morrison, Paul Geraghty, Linda Crowl.