Natewa Peninsula
More actions
| Natewa Peninsula | |
|---|---|
| Tunuloa Peninsula, Natewa/Tunuloa Peninsula | |
| ActiveCannabis last recorded here in 2026 | |
| |
| Satellite view of Natewa Peninsula, Sentinel-2 cloudless mosaic by EOX, 2016. | |
| Geography | |
| Country | Fiji |
| Province/State | Northern Division |
| Province | Cakaudrove |
| Coordinates | -16.62, 179.80 |
| Landscape | |
| Terrain | Forested central ridge with steep slopes, farmland and hill country on the south-east of Vanua Levu |
| Growing history | |
| Dated news reports | 2020–2026 |
| Documentation | |
| Appellations | 0 |
| Accessions | 0 |
| Conservation | |
| Populations | none documented yet |
The Natewa Peninsula, also called the Tunuloa Peninsula, is a landrace cannabis growing area on the south-east of Vanua Levu in Cakaudrove province, in the Northern Division of Fiji. The area takes in the peninsula and the districts at its base around Tukavesi.
Police have found cannabis farms here since at least 2020, at Navonu, Dakuniba, Koroivonu, Vusasivo and Tukavesi.[1][2][3] In 2026 police told the provincial council that the districts of Tunuloa, Natewa, Cakaudrove Vanua, Navatu and Naweni, which they called Cakaudrove's "Golden Triangle", were major cultivation zones; four operations there destroyed 47,397 plants.[4]
Geography
The peninsula lies on the south-east of Vanua Levu. A forested ridge runs along its centre, mostly lowland rainforest, with stunted or montane forest on its many steep slopes. Its largest remaining tracts of old-growth forest form a Key Biodiversity Area, under pressure from forestry and agriculture.[5]
The police's Golden Triangle covers the districts of Tunuloa and Natewa on the peninsula and Cakaudrove Vanua, Navatu and Naweni.[4] Named finds lie in the Navonu Hills, at Dakuniba village, in the highlands above Koroivonu village, at the Qaranibali farming area of Vusasivo in Natewa and in the Nasea farming area at Tukavesi.[1][2][3][6] In mid-2026 police were working further into what they called the upper Golden Triangle, around Salia village, Nailou, Manuasi, Devon Kanakana and parts of Navonu.[4]
Cultivation
The farms range from about 100 plants to several thousand. The Navonu Hills farm of May 2020 held more than 700 plants and the Lomalagi farm at Dakuniba close to 100.[1] In August 2022 police found more than 27,000 plants on five farms in the highlands above Koroivonu.[2] The Qaranibali farm at Vusasivo held more than 7,000 plants in March 2026, some of them over four metres tall.[3]
In August 2026 the police's assistant commissioner for operations said growers had changed their methods to avoid detection.[6]
Enforcement
The 2020 raids were run from the police station at Tukavesi. In May 2020 officers from the station and the Police Special Response Unit raided the Navonu Hills and Dakuniba farms and arrested a 27-year-old and a 47-year-old farmer; a third man was arrested with dried leaves at the Bagasau checkpoint in Tukavesi.[1] The Koroivonu find of August 2022 came during operations across the police divisions that followed new information on cultivation and trade.[2]
Drones located the larger finds of 2026. The Vusasivo farm was found by drone and raided by the Northern Division team of Operation Sasamaki on 25 March 2026, and the seized plants were to be sent for analysis.[3] The four operations reported in June 2026 destroyed 13,007, 20,226, 1,332 and 12,832 plants and led to 77 arrests, 23 of them in farm raids and 54 at police roadblocks; the roadblock seizures included sachets of dried cannabis, 17 live rounds of ammunition and FJ$4,000 in cash.[4] In August 2026 the Northern Division operations team uprooted more than 2,000 plants in the rugged Vatuyalewa mountain range and more than 200 in the Nasea farming area at Tukavesi, supported by a joint task force that includes the Republic of Fiji Military Forces. Police said information sharing and drones had helped them find farms in difficult terrain.[6]
Accessions
No accessions documented yet.
Conservation status
Recent news
See also
References
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "More than 27,000 Marijuana Plants Discovered In Cakaudrove". Fiji Sun. 22 August 2022. Retrieved 17 October 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Mala, Riya (26 March 2026). "Drones uncover a massive marijuana farm in the North". FBC News. Retrieved 17 October 2026.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Matairakula, Talei (5 June 2026). "Police seize $47m worth of marijuana in North". Fiji Sun. Retrieved 17 October 2026.
- ↑ "Natewa/Tunuloa Peninsula". Key Biodiversity Areas. KBA Partnership. Retrieved 17 October 2026.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Chand, Anish (9 August 2026). "Police uproot more than 2,000 marijuana plants in North". The Fiji Times. Retrieved 17 October 2026.