Joel Parkinson and family have just returned from there and scored some great lefts and some great fishing. Warm water, friendly people and a short and relatively inexpensive flight make Fiji a perennial favourite for surfers and families. However, there’s new trouble in paradise for owners of resorts like Tavarua and Nomotu offering ‘exclusive’ access to some of Fiji’ best waves, following the Fiji Governments approval of "the promulgation of the Regulation of Surfing Areas Decree 2010." According to the Fijian government's official website: "Cabinet based its decision on a submission by the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Mr. Aiyaz Sayed-Khiayum. The Attorney-General said that the Decree aims to liberalize access to any surfing area in Fiji and thereby enhance Fiji's image as a premier surf travel destination."

The official statement looks ominous for the future of the Tavarua resort, which has long restricted crowds at its island surf breaks, limiting weekly visitors to a maximum of 36 willing to pay up to $400 per day for exclusive rights (and especially lefts) on some of the most perfect waves in the world. Its neighbouring island, Namotu a favourite amongst Aussies when they last held the Globe Pro WCT also shares a similar agreement or ‘reef rights’ in which both the local village and the resort owners ‘share’ almost exclusive access to its best waves. By contrast, the proposed new law "expressly permits unrestricted access to, and use of, any surfing area by any person for the purposes of surfing or any other water sport, without having to obtain any approval from any person and without the payment of any monies or compensation for the use of any such surfing area."

The new laws hark back hundreds of years in Fijian culture, and were originally established as a way to prevent wars from breaking out between tribes over various fishing grounds. The Decree also cancels "any existing instrument of title, including any lease or license, without payment of any compensation." None of which sounds great for the future of the Tavarua surf resort founded some 25 years ago. Over at website ESPN who also posted the story last Friday, its far from a done deal.

Indeed, it's not the first time Tavarua has had to weave its way through Fijian politics. It’s the same politics and political uncertainty that in part forced the cancellation of the Quiksilver and more recently Globe Pro WCT event there.

According Tavarua Resort co-owner Jon Roseman: "The Fijian government has always supported the Tavarua surfing resort and model, and conversely we've always supported the government and the people of Fiji. If and when details are released and the decree goes into effect, we will know at that time if it has any impact on our operation." Roseman also points out that even the government's statement acknowledges that changes "Will commence at a date determined by the Minister for Tourism."

However ESPN Surfing contributor Tom Servais recently returned from a two-week stint on Tavarua, and affirms that this isn't a done deal, that nothing's set in stone and that the decree would only effect half a dozen surf spots, as most everywhere else in the Fijian chain is open country. "I think Tavarua is in very good hands, the owners and the villagers, they are all good." Esei Tokawu told Servais in a recent interview. Esei is one of the best native surfers on Tavaura and has worked at the resort since he was 14 (he's 32 now). "The owners have become like family with all the people of so Fiji, and especially considering all the things they are doing for the village, they are really good families to us now."

Sources Surfline and ESPN