Samoa: Respecting the Mangroves

Case Study: Waste Impacts on Mangrove Areas

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Over the years many of the mangrove swamps on Upolo have been used as rubbish dumps by both local villages and the government. One example is Vaiusu Bay in Apia, one of the largest areas of mangroves in Eastern Polynesia and the biggest fish breeding and feeding grounds in Samoa.

Part of this mangrove area has been filled in and Apia's last rubbish dump lies under much of the reclaimed land. Approximately 3,000 tonnes of rubbish was disposed of each year into this site. When it rains the runoff from the buried rubbish dump pollutes the main bay and the seafood is unsafe to eat. The nearby village of Vaitaloa still suffers from the effects of the old dump. Meaning "flooded", the village is left surrounded by a tidemark of rubbish after heavy rains.

The village of Moataa is another mangrove area badly affected by waste and reclamation. In 1993 Moataa took part in Samoa's first Clean Up the World Campaign. An important part of the campaign was the cleaning up and restoration of the mangrove swamp. For years the area had become a dumping place for all sorts of rubbish, destroying it as a fish habitat and breeding ground. The campaign organiser, the Reverend Samuelu Ruapena, remembers a time when the fish were plentiful and the mangroves clear of rubbish. He knows how important the mangroves are to the future of the village and the local environment.

Next: Working for the Mangroves