Environment

Fishermen caught in raui area
Environmental expert joins USP
Flying the national colours
Govt powerless to enforce raui
Ship caught in EEZ

Fishermen caught in raui area

Fri
9 Oct

One of a group of fishermen who were caught on camera fishing in the Titikaveka Raui (marine reserve) on Tuesday. 09100811

Four fishermen were caught on camera on Tuesday flagrantly breaking the customary law of the raui (marine reserve) in Titikaveka.

Over two dozen parrotfish were caught by the group of four men with nets.

A Titikaveka local with much respect for the raui and owner of The Little Polynesian, Te Tika Mataiapo Dorice Reid, says the fish were confiscated but unfortunately all were dead by the time the fishermen returned to shore.

Te Tika says the beautifully coloured fish usually swim very close to the shore and are a pure joy to watch.

“Children, snorkellers and other people walking on the beach in the area love to see this beautiful fish which have become tame in the raui area.”

Those who saw the breach of the raui also wondered why the fish were being caught when they can’t be eaten due to ciguatera (fish poisoining).

The Cook Islands raui system has been touted by regional environment programmes as one of the most successful ways to protect and preserve our resources.

It has been 11 years since the Koutu Nui, the body of the nation’s rangatira and mataiapo, reintroduced the raui.

While there are continued fears about a loss of respect for the raui, there are still new sanctuary areas being created and watched over by ‘guardians’ such as the Arorangi raui at Edgewater Resort placed in 2007.

Environmental expert joins USP

Fri
9 Oct

The University of the South Pacific (USP) has announced the appointment of Professor John E Hay as an adjunct professor who will work out of the USP Cook Islands Campus.

Hay is an expert in environmental science, policy and management with over 40 years of international work experience in academia, the private sector and government organisations.

He is currently the director of John E Hay and Associates Ltd in NZ and is visiting professor at Ibaraki University in Mito, Japan.

His appointment at USP will contribute significantly to research and teaching in the area of climate change, renewable energy and related themes at the university.

Hay has worked in the areas of teaching, research and consultancy in climatology and environmental science at a number of universities including the University of Auckland, University of British Columbia, University of Canterbury and the University of London. He has been leading and implementing interdisciplinary projects involving environmental science, engineering, technology, law, policy, institutional change, and management.

With expertise in the areas of climate change and natural disaster risk reduction, disaster management and climate change adaptations, Hay’s addition to the university is a contribution to its intellectual capacity on such critical issues facing the Pacific. Professor Hay has a particular interest in climatic change (including variability and extremes) in the Pacific.

One of the major contributions by Hay on adaptation to climate change in the Pacific is evident from his work on the World Bank project on ‘Adapting to Natural Hazards in the Pacific Region – Pacific Island Countries’ from 2003 to 2009. This project provides guidance to policy makers on adapting to natural hazards in the Pacific region. His current work on climate change issues and adaptation includes the World Bank Project in Papua New Guinea, Philippines, and Vanuatu.

Together with other members of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and Al Gore, Hay was awarded the prestigious 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for his work as a lead author of the recent IPCC Fourth Assessment Report and also the two previous IPCC assessment reports.

USP is delighted to have Professor Hay as part of its team to drive its agenda of ‘Quality, Relevance, and Sustainability’ in teaching and research at the university.

Flying the national colours

Sat
10 Oct

Voyaging canoe Te Au O Tonga provided a wonderful stage for the sailing medals ceremony on the lagoon at Aitutaki. 09100922

Govt powerless to enforce raui

Tue
13 Oct

The ministry of marine resources says it can’t penalise people for breaching the customary law of the raui (marine reserve), but says it might be about time to introduce legislation to cover it.

Last Tuesday four fishermen with nets were caught by the president of the Koutu Nui, Te Tika Mataiapo Dorice Reid, fishing inside the Titikaveka raui area.

Te Tika says she was disgusted by the breach of the traditional form of resource management re-introduced by the Koutu Nui eleven years ago. The fishermen caught dozens of parrotfish in the lagoon.

Marine resources secretary Ian Bertram says since its re-introduction the raui system has seen varying levels of compliance from the community.

The ministry has assisted aronga mana (traditional leaders) with surveys on the raui in recent years but it has no powers to penalise those who break the raui.

“Community awareness has been going on for some time, many people respect it, yet still others don’t. It might be about time we go back to the aronga mana, to request if they want it legislated,” says Bertram.

Bertram drove out to Titikaveka last Tuesday after a call from a concerned citizen about the men fishing in the raui. He says he spoke to one of them who had no fish on him. Bertram reiterated the reasons why the raui are in place and why the community should respect them

“There wasn’t anything more I could do due to no legislation.”

Marine resources officer Koroa Raumea says there is currently only a provision under the Marine Resources Act 2005 that a management plan be formulated to allow the raui to become law.

In the outer islands some raui are already by-laws such as the protection of paua (clam) in Penrhyn and the bylaw for Takutea that considers the island a reserve.

In 2004 a marine resources report stated that the vaka councils in Rarotonga and government wanted the raui system made law, but the Koutu Nui resisted because they hoped the community would cooperate and adhere to the traditional law.

The report stated that legislating the raui system may provoke people to break the law.

And so the success of the raui system relies on the community at large. Raumea says his ministry can only work with the aronga mana to promote the respect of the raui. He says more awareness about the raui may help them gain more respect in future.

Ship caught in EEZ

Wed
14 Oct

Greenpeace has called for the arrest of the captain of the Japanese ship Koyu Maru 3, which Greenpeace caught fishing illegally in the exclusive economic zone of the Cook Islands.

“The Koyu Maru 3 and other pirate fishing vessels are stealing fish for their own profit, depriving the people of the Cook Islands of a vital source of income,” said Josua Turaganivalu, Oceans Campaigner of Greenpeace Australia Pacific on board the Esperanza.

“These pirates of the Pacific must be stopped from plundering ocean life and robbing local communities.”

The Greenpeace ship Esperanza, campaigning to end the destruction of the world’s oceans, encountered the Koyu Maru 3 hauling in its longline and catching tuna within Cook Islands waters, where they have no licenCe to fish.

Greenpeace provided the Cook Islands ministry of marine resources and the fisheries agency of Japan with photographic evidence of the illegal activity. Greenpeace demands the Japanese government order Koyu Maru 3, which is owned by Tokyo-based World Tuna Co Ltd, to stop its illegal fishing activities and sail to the nearest port for further investigation.

Globally, more than US $9 billion dollars is lost each year to pirate fishing fleets. Pirate fishers, who reap their profits in European, American and Asian markets, are threatening fish stocks as well as depriving Pacific communities of much-needed income. A recent report estimated that pirate fishing in the Pacific accounted for an average of 36 percent of its total fisheries, much higher than the global average of 19 percent.