Through awareness materials (reports and a DVD produced
by NFMV) and targeted presentations by NFMV to local
tourism chapters and at national tourism meetings, the
tourism industry has been made aware of the endangered
status of the Soga and the major effect unsustainable harvesting
for thatch is having on natural populations. NFMV
believes that unless drastic measures are taken to move to
sustainably harvested Soga, the thatch industry per se will
be completely lost within a decade (Watling pers. comm.).
However, despite this information, there has been little or
no observed change in the overall behaviour of the industry,
although there are exceptions.