I was reading the news from the Pre-COP31 meeting in Nadi today and I really agree with what Prime Minister Matthew Wale said about our reefs and mangroves. He told the leaders that we need to invest in nature, not just big concrete seawalls.

Working out at sea as a fisheries observer, I see how important these systems are. An engineered seawall costs up to $20 million per kilometer, which is crazy money for us. But a healthy coral reef protects 41% of us from big waves and storms for free, while also keeping our fish stocks healthy.

In Auki and around Malaita, we know that if the mangroves go, the coast goes next. Wale called our reefs and forests 'natural capital' and he is right. We shouldn't just wait for overseas money to build walls that might break. We need to protect the reefs that are already doing the job. It makes more sense for our food security and our wallets. I hope the big donors listen and stop putting billions into things that hurt the environment instead of helping it.