Marine resources have played a significant role in Fiji in recent decades and contribute to both food and income security for households, especially those residing in coastal areas. Despite a string of bad occurrences such as recurrent cyclones, climate change, and infrastructural costs, the aquaculture industry in Fiji has persevered and remained resilient. Having made a contribution to the economic development over the past years allow, further research on industry development. Therefore, it will be a good opinion to develop and rejuvenate the different aquaculture techniques in Fiji to cater for the national seafood security and improve the export trade of the marine species. The rapid growth of the human population, the looming food insecurity and declining marine and freshwater fish stocks are some reasons of food and nutrition insecurity. Seafood is a critical component of human diets, comprising one-sixth of global animal-source food consumption and plays a critical role in contributing to food security, and thus sea grapes (Caulerpa lentillifera) and blacklip pearl oyster (Pinctada margaritifera) are two species that can be co-cultured to help contribute more to the current sea food trend. Both species are edible and nutritious in Fiji and are distributed globally from the South Pacific to the western pacific. The project is implemented in Namarai village located on the eastern coast line side of Vitilevu in the tikina of Rakiraki, Fiji. The findings indicated that the water quality parameters such as the DO improved in the co-culture area as compared to the open ocean while the growth of pearl oyster was recorded to be 35.3 and 57.9mm in length and weighs between 1.59 and 2.56g over the past 4.5 months kept in co-culture. Co-culture technique is an affordable and sustainable potential solution for the world’s populations facing food insecurity and is a way forward given the presence of great supporting features in Fiji, such as favorable climate, excellent water quality and abundant land resources. Additionally, this research offers to expand aquaculture to the point at which it can satiate the nation’s pressing need for food security by educating people in the Pacific about co-culture and encouraging them to participate in it rather than relying on land farming.
Keywords: Caulerpa lentillifera, Pinctada margaritifera, aquaculture, co-culture, food security.