Soga has always been regarded as abundant without any
systematic monitoring to support this assumption. In 1993
Fiji’s National Environment Strategy recommended that
the Soga be the subject of a new protective mechanism
suitable for species of cultural interest (GoF 1993).
This would involve the introduction of a ban on the commercial
sale of these species pending extensive awareness raising,
after which they could be considered for total protection.
Since then and despite the recommendations for a protective
mechanism, Soga has received no conservation management
at all, and unlike Fiji’s other endemic palms it is
not protected under the Endangered Species Protection Act
(2002). As Soga was never a part of the traditional agricultural
or agro-ecological system in Fiji like palms in
neighboring countries such as Vanuatu and Samoa, it was
seen as expendable in the face of demand for the land on
which it occurred for other purposes. Consequently, Soga
was not considered seriously endangered until the results of
an MSc thesis by Isaac Rounds (2007) demonstrated that
the rush for sago palm thatch for the tourism industry had
led to massive unsustainable harvesting and a significant
decline in population size and viability.