Frontier Marine Research Program

I have been looking into a scuba course and conservation project with Frontier Marine Research in Fiji. I was wondering if anyone has any experience with this group? Alternatively, could someone recomment a scuba and conservation project in Fiji for July 2008 which won't brake the bank?

i just looked at their frontiers websites for the prices.
wow! 1500 pound for 4 weeks. thats almost 5000 fiji dollars.

take open water and advanced course, costs about F$ 1000, first week
a 10 dive pack will cost you about 600 fiji dollars, so buy three of those F$ 1800
leaves you over 3000 for food and accom.

the research and conservation??? thats just the advertising draw....

you get more for your dollar if you contact a off the main tourist route dive shops and ask them for a four week deal incl. accom, it will be much less and you do real dives insted of diving transecs in shallow water all day....

Hi melbar. Thank you for the information.

I was a but dubious about this 'program.' But you've got to start somewhere in your research, right?

I was wondering if you could suggest a few companies to look into? I prefer local over international as I'd like to see my dollars going to the people who earn them rather than some middle men. =) I'd like to seriously do some conservation work while I'm in the South Pacific but again seem to be drawing a blank on the contact ideas/info.

Cheers.

i always recommend ovalau divers or dolphin bay divers. both are small owner operated shops run by foreigners that have been in fiji between 10 to 20 years and fiji is their home now so the dollar you spend there stays in fiji.
there are only one or two fiji owned dive ops that are worth mentioning. tyrone valentine and jewels divers both are on taveuni and are run by ggod guys too.
most other shops are part of foreign resorts or foreign businesses. avoid the big chains that have many outlets on differnt locations. would be to touristy and to expensive for what you want anyway.

Thank you melbar. I've noted the names and appreciate your help. =) It is great to have first hand recommendations. I'll be getting my BSAC later this year through uni (read cheaply) so this is going to be loads of fun!

Hi,

I've just finished working for Frontier in Tanzania.

While it's true that it's a lot of money compared to what you'd pay locally, and that the bulk of your money would likely go towards marketing, Frontier does do good work in Fiji and around the world.

Their project in Fiji is based on Gau (pronounced 'Now') which has no tourist facilities and no tourists besides the Frontier research team and volunteers. The Gau villagers and chiefs set up a loosely defined protected area around the island which barred fishermen from fishing. In time, the fishermen found that they were catching larger yields and species of fish that they hadn't caught in years. The University of South Pacific got interested in the research potential of the locally-begun project (finding out what the villagers had done right, and what they could do better) and collaborated with Frontier to do baseline biodiversity surveys.

Frontier is now involved in advising Gau villagers on how to set up their own island as a backpacker retreat. As far as I know, there is still no mobile phone coverage, only 1 flight a week, and not a whole lot else. And the villagers have a close relationship with the Frontier staff, who stay on the island all year round.

So it's a toss up, really. If you just want dive training, then you can definitely do it cheaper elsewhere. If you want a bit more, and to go where you stand a chance of contributing to some good work, then keep looking at your options and don't exclude some of the more 'expensive' organisations.

Good luck!