It’s easy to think of Fiji as a paradise. The truth is the country has plenty of issues that deserve proper attention, and too often they’re sidestepped in favor of big-money projects that come at the expense of locals.

Right now, a local community of surfers, fishermen, and landowners are coming together to protest a proposed iron-sand mining project at the Sigatoka River mouth. The project, proposed by Australian-owned Magma Mines, could wipe out a precious wave, restrict access to the area, threaten important fishing grounds, and degrade a large stretch of the Coral Coast which could, in turn, negatively impact tourism and local businesses. It’s hard to say exactly how much is at stake, because landowners say they weren’t consulted on the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and it has been difficult to view or access.

The wave in question is directly out front of the Sigatoka River. Although the beach is about 4 miles long, the best wave is right in the zone of the proposed mine.…