Supply chain and marketing of sea grapes,Caulerpa racemosa(Forsskål) J. Agardh (Chlorophyta: Caulerpaceae) in Fiji, Samoa and Tonga.
This report describes for the first time the supply chain ofCaulerpa racemosain three Pacific Island countries. The harvesting and marketing ofC. racemosaare important subsistence activities for villagers in Fiji and Samoa, less so in Tonga. At least 150 harvesters are involved in Fiji, some 100 in Samoa and only a handful in Tonga. The annual combined crop is of some 123 t valued at around US$266,492. In Fiji, it is projected that supply does not meet local demand and there is a potential export market that is currently operating at a pilot project level. In Samoa, the supply is considered adequate for the current market. In Tonga, harvesting is carried out by a few families and supplies a niche market in that country. The possibilities of field cultivation ofCaulerpahave been explored but, at present, with only limited success in Samoa. The supply chain is simple in all three countries, and only in Fiji are middlemen involved in the distribution process. The limitations for marketing include the fact that only a few sites supply most of the crop in all the three countries, that all sites need to be conserved through sustainable harvesting methods, the short shelf life of the crop and a lack of information on the carrying capacity of harvest sites.Caulerparemains a crop that fulfils a niche market but has the potential to be scaled up for additional livelihood development in the future.
Institute of Marine Resources, School of Marine Studies, University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji.
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Morris
Institute of Marine Resources, School of Marine Studies, University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji.
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Bala
School of Marine Studies, Faculty of Science, Technology and Environment, University of the South Pacific, Alafua, Samoa.
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South
Faculty of Science, Technology and Environment, University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji.
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Lako
Private Consultant, Apia, Samoa.
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Lober
School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia.
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Simos
Fiji; Harvesting; Marketing; Samoa; Supply chain; Tonga