Natuvu: Sea Cucumber Fishing and Coastal Protection

Natuvu is located in Viani Bay in Cakaudrove Province on Vanua Levu. The village’s history combines community-organized sea cucumber fishing with coastal protection. Another aspect of the landscape is the Mission at Natuvu Creek property, with its dormant volcano and tropical and bamboo forests. For planning your trip, the village offers two distinct perspectives: the livelihoods of a coastal community and the themes of coast, forest, and volcano.

Sea cucumber fishing as a community responsibility

On September 3, 2020, Fiji’s first community sea cucumber management plan was officially introduced in the village. It had been developed by the people of Natuvu and their traditional leaders. The plan addressed social, economic, and environmental issues related to harvesting and processing sea cucumbers. This combination makes the story interesting to visitors: it is about work and livelihoods as well as the community management of a resource.

For the people of Natuvu village in Wailevu District, in Cakaudrove Province on Vanua Levu, sea cucumber fishing is an important source of income. Of the 30 sea cucumber species found in Fiji, 14 were considered particularly valuable to Natuvu fishers in 2020. These figures make the economic importance of fishing in the village tangible.

Between 2008 and 2017, Natuvu residents regularly harvested sea cucumbers in their waters to ensure sustainability. In September 2020, the fishery was considered to be in sharp decline. For planning your trip together, the timeline is clear: the years of harvesting were followed by the introduction of the management plan and the assessment of the decline in 2020.

Coast, mangroves, and the forested mission property

Natuvu planted mangroves to protect the coast from currents that had been carrying sand and coconut palms away from the shore. In 2022, the communities of Nakasa and Natuvu jointly pursued a planned mangrove restoration project after the coastline had receded by almost one meter. Coastal protection is therefore a concrete part of the village’s history, connected to changes along the shore and the work of planting mangroves.

The Mission at Natuvu Creek property includes tropical and bamboo forests. The 750-acre freehold property also contains a dormant volcano 1,200 feet high. These landscape details add forests and volcanic terrain to the picture of Natuvu; they are quite different from the history of coastal protection.

Travel and accommodation information

A 16-meter-long reinforced concrete slab was planned for a crossing near Natuvu in Viani Bay in 2025. Check current road conditions before setting out. Nearby, the Suncity Ferry Service connects Buca Bay on Vanua Levu with Taveuni. A travel update dated November 20, 2025, lists this connection; check the route, schedule, and availability before your trip.

When choosing a holiday apartment in Natuvu, consider which themes you want to shape your trip: community fishing history and coastal protection, or the landscape features described here. If the ferry connection to Taveuni is part of your plans, check the latest information in advance.

Discover more destinations: Naidi, Tavuki, Pagai, Vanuavou, Vatutandova, Waiyevo, Matei, Naqarawalu.

For the regional travel overview: Northern Division.