1. Marine Resources
Tuesday 25th June 2013

2. MMR VISION
To work in partnership with communities, businesses and other agencies to:
provide long-term benefits for the people of the Cook Islands
sustain and develop the use of marine resources
Economic development of our marine resources.
Develop opportunities for our people to benefit, generate income.
Conservation and management
Research
NSDP - Food security, Improved livelihoods, Well being, Import substitution, Export earnings

3. Inshore Fisheries
& Aquaculture

4. Inshore & Aquaculture Division
Improve income generating opportunities for private sector particularly in the Outer Islands through increased technical and scientific assistance
Ensure sustainable fishing and conservation practises resulting in long term food security
Provide technical and scientific advice and support to Aronga Mana and Island Councils.
2. Explore development opportunities and management options for small scale fisheries, aquaculture and eco-tourism sectors.
3. Maintain and support national FAD program through extension services.
4. Monitoring of coastal ecosystems and Environmental impacts.
5. Deliver funding and project assistance to stakeholders through the Fisheries Development Facility (FDF) to develop domestic fisheries
6. Enhance program of marine education and public awareness

5. Food security

6. Local catches – creel surveys
Inshore fisheries
300 – 500 mt/yr
1/3rd sold ($9/kg) 133t, 2/3rd subsistence 267t
Nearshore and FAD (trolling/longline)
t/yr
1/3rd sold ($8/kg), 2/3rd subsistence
Freshwater
Eels, shrimp, tilapia 5t
Domestic Long-liners
Estimated at 120t

7. Household 2006 – imported seafood
Tinned fish sardines
8,937
$53,839
Tinned fish mackerel
35,626
$320,638
Tinned fish tuna
15,241
$106,687
Other tinned fish
29,745
$237,962
89,549
$719,126

8. Fish consumption per capita
High levels of fish consumption
219 kg/yr, Penrhyn, (Passfield 1997)
63 kg/yr, Cook Is, (Preston 2000)
47 kg/yr, Cook Is, (MMR 2000)
35 kg/yr, Cook Is, (SPC, 2008)
61 kg/yr rural, 25 kg/yr urban
WHO recommend 35 kg/yr/capita
According to SPC (2008) the Cook Islands is below the recommended levels 25 kg/yr (urban)
High levels of NCD’s, diabetes
World average 16.5 kg

9. Subsistence fishing Mangaia – Subsistence fishing
92% engaged in fishing
309 fishers, 148 women, 161 men
1/3rd exclusive men finfish, 1/3rd exclusive women invertebrates, 1/3rd both
Rarotonga - Subsistence fishing
44% households engaged
Include sport fishers, motorized boats
Half (155) = men, exclusive finfish
Quarter (69) = women, exclusive invertebrate

10. Trends fishing Coastal subsistence is declining
858t, $3.05 mill, late 80’s (Dalzell, 1996)
795t, $2 mill, 2000 (MMR 2001)
267t, $1.7 mill, mid 00’s (Gillett, 2009)
- Loss of seafood nutrition, loss of culture
Decline in seafood consumption on Rarotonga 1990’s onwards due to ciguatera poisoning
116 kg/yr, 1989, (MMR 2001)
99 kg/yr, 2001, (MMR 2001)
64 kg/yr, 2006, (Moore 2006)
Led to…
2000’s onwards – a switch to pelagic fish (domestic longline vessels)
40-50% tuna estimated to be supplied by domestic and foreign longline vessels
t, whole fish, 2007 (MMR 2008)
Note Palmeston 18t, $12/kg, 2007

11. Ra’ui Name: Edgewater Resort Total Area: Dates: Implemented: 2009
Lift Period(s):
Survey/Reports:
Current Status: Open

12. Rau’i

13. Other protected marine areas
Takutea – Marine Sanctuary
Penrhyn & Manihiki – giant clam export moratorium
Manihiki – pearl shell reserve
Pukapuka – traditional rau’i for land and sea (annual)
Mauke – reef marine reserve

14. Proposed Rau’i regulations
Declaration
Declared by Aronga Mana, after consultation
Protocol - date, duration, area description, species, fishing practices etc
MMR will register the rau’i (i.e. management plan)
Public awareness
Signage and public awareness programs
Wardens
Aronga Mana nominate Tiaki raui
MMR train and equip (Tiaki rau’i)
MMR compliance unit and Police will also monitor and survey
On-spot fines possible, otherwise can elect judicial processes
Maintenance
Sites for education, research, and trials

15. Potential developments
Sea cucumber
Assessments(printing)
Lollyfish (Rori toto), Matu rori
Rori Puakatoro & Rori matie

16. - Regionally recognised as the best managed resources
Trochus
- Regionally recognised as the best managed resources
Clams for ornamental market
AMRC
Bonefish ecotourism
Aitutaki Bone

17. Fish aggregating devices (FADs)

18. Coastal, FAD and game-fishing catches
Yellow-fin Tuna

19. Offshore fisheries

20. Offshore Division
Expanded income earning opportunities from sustainably managed offshore fisheries, through capacity building, and infrastructure and market development
1. Provide effective management of designated offshore fisheries.
2. Explore new opportunities for investment and market access.
3. Enhance capability scientifically sound assessments.
4. Monitoring and Surveillance Systems for offshore fisheries meet Cook Islands, regional and international requirements.
5. Cook Islands engage and meet its regional and international responsibilities.
6. Fisheries regime is guided by a scientifically sound basis
7. An integrated offshore fisheries and near shore fisheries regime.

21. Regional Fisheries Management Organizations

22. Fishing Effort

23. 3 to 5 YEAR TARGETS TARGETS $5-7 Mill/yr Diversify economy
SKIPJACK
BIG EYE
TARGETS
$5-7 Mill/yr
Diversify economy
20 t/wk fish export
Leveraged benefits
Onshore
Shipping
Fuel
ALBACORE
YELLOW-FIN (&ALB)
SWORDFISH

24. Albacore Long-line Fishery
Penrhyn
1,000 km
Albacore Tuna
Rarotonga

25. Big-eye Tuna Long-line Fishery (2012)
Penrhyn
1,000 km
Rarotonga
Big-eye Tuna

26. Skipjack Tuna Purse Seine Fishery
Penrhyn
1,000 km
Skipjack Tuna
Rarotonga

27. Legislative Framework
Marine Resources Act 2005
Designated Fisheries – Section 5
Fisheries Management Plan
Regulations
Regulations:
Marine Resources Longline Fishery Regulations 2012
50 vessel Limit (cap)
Marine Resources Purse Seine Fishery Regulations 2013
1250 days (30,000mt)

28. Pearl Support Division

29. Vision Improve quality and quantity of production through:
better farm husbandry systems
improved governance
continued research and development, and environmental monitoring programs

30. Objectives
1. Support to key stakeholders through enhanced governance and communication. 2. Strengthen capacity to increase pearl quality 3. Monitor lagoon health and changing environmental conditions, 4. Identify other sustainable economic opportunities of the pa enua pae Tokerau
4 key objectives
Support key stakeholders
Strengthen pearl production
Monitoring Lagoon Health & management
Research & Development

32. Causes of the problem

33. Market forces Quality Depressed world pearl prices
High costs of operating on Manihiki
Depopulation
Labour forces

34. Bacterial Disease diseased pearl oyster Healthy pearl oyster
Two significant experiences where climate changes has caused massive mortality
In 2000, hot/windless conditions (El Nino type weather) led to oxygen depletion, bacterial disease and massive 75% mortality on the surface above 6 meters depth
Overstocking – depletion of food, stress
Hot/windless conditions – lack of flushing, low oxygen
Spawning and seeding – gametes in the water, high bacterial loads
Outbreak of Vibrio harveyii - massive mortality
300 thousand adult oysters died
900 thousand young oysters died
diseased pearl oyster
Healthy pearl oyster

37. Governance Island Council Manihiki Pearl Farmers Association
Fishing Association
Government
Ministries
Communities

38. Thank You