[Source: Fiji Government / Facebook]

Acting Prime Minister and Minister for Communications Manoa Kamikamica stresses the urgent need to address Fiji’s online pornography consumption.

Fiji is in the top 10 list of countries with the highest number of internet searches for pornography.

Kamikamica notes that for a small developing country to be amongst the top 10 is concerning and calls for immediate intervention.

He made these comments following the first-ever meeting of the National Pornography Taskforce which is looking into regulating and even banning access of children to explicit sites.

Kamikamica says that there has been a 287 percent increase in reported incidents of suspected child sexual abuse material in the Pacific Islands from 2019 to 2023.

He adds that the National Taskforce aims to explore how pornography affects individuals, families, and communities, and to identify its broader implications.

“The meeting was really just to have a discussion around what we need to do to address pornography, online pornography, particularly in Fiji. We are in the top ten of countries that consume pornography. And so, that’s not positive, that’s not a good thing.”

Kamikamica says the internet is becoming a breeding ground for predators who exploit the vulnerable members of our communities.

The National Taskforce to address pornography will establish three Working Groups to develop actionable strategies and solutions.

The primary objective of this task force is to conduct thorough consultations to understand the root causes of pornography use and its societal impacts.