Penrhyn
Penrhyn, referred to by its local name as Tongareva, is the largest atoll in the Cook Islands and its numerous motus have a combined land area of 10 square kilometres. The highest point is about four meters above the average sea level. There are two main settlements on Tongareva, Omoka, which is on Moananui, and Tetautua which is on Pokerekere. The distance between Omoka and Tetautua, across the lagoon, is over 14 kilometres.
The soils on Penrhyn are derived from coral and reef materials with a thin layer of organic topsoil. They are relatively infertile and as a result, vegetables are hard to grow, but crops such as breadfruit, banana and coconuts are plentiful. Income is generated mainly through pearl farming and sales of mother-of-pearl, and natural pearls (pipi pearls) which are collected by free divers. The women make handicrafts such as baskets, purses, kikau brooms and hats from local materials. The men carve jewellery such as earrings, necklaces and hairpins out of pearl shells. Private enterprise on the island is in cultured pearl farming, handicraft making, retail stores, and visitor accommodations. In the early 1980s, fish were sent to Rarotonga on small ships with refrigeration; however, this no longer occurs and the majority of fish caught is for local consumption.
The lagoon is unpolluted and well flushed by incoming and outgoing tides through the three wide passages and areas of the barrier reef without landmass. The northern end is shallower and is where most of the pearl farms are concentrated. Penrhyn lagoon is suitable for pearl farming because there are large areas that are shallow enough for SCUBA divers to set farm lines. Already there are as many pearl farms on Penrhyn as on Manihiki, although they are much smaller than those of Manihiki are. The Island Council is responsible for issuing pearl farming licenses. Individual farmers must submit their proposal to the Council for approval. The island has one wharf at Omoka, a national port of entry with customs and immigration facilities. Fisheries in Penrhyn are generally on a subsistence scale with limited artisanal activity. Occasionally, fish are sent to Rarotonga either for relatives or for sale. About 95% of the population are engaged in some form of fishing activity whether domestic or commercial. This includes methods such as patia, verovero, tavere, sisi, poito, i’i and kupenga.
Other fishing methods that are still used on Penrhyn to catch a particular fish species but not practised on some of the other islands, include the following.
• Rui (black trevally) fishing: This type of fishing is carried out in the northern Cooks, particularly on Penrhyn. Essential equipment includes a boat, heavy fishing line, hooks, bait, snorkelling gear and at least two men. On arrival at the rui fishing ground, one of the fishermen remains on the boat and the other enters the water. The diver takes ground-up bait (paru) in his mouth to where he knows the rui will be and then spits it out. The diver’s goal is to attract the fish to the surface. Once the fish are at the surface the diver reaches out to his buddy on the canoe for a baited hook. S/he then offers the baited hook to the feeding rui, once the fish takes the bait the person in the canoe hauls in the catch. According to local fishermen, it is becoming harder to catch a good-sized rui. Many people spear the rui at the passages and this may be having an effect on stock numbers.
• Hapuku (cod) fishing-spawning season: Fishermen know when the hapuku will begin aggregating by checking the size of the gonads (sexual organs) of their catch. When the gonads become large, spawning (aggregating time) is about to begin. This generally occurs during April, May or June. The aggregations occur at the reef passages, and include hapuku from both the ocean and the lagoon. The aggregations can be quite large. Fishermen anchor at the passage during the day and catch the hapuku using handlines or Samoan reels. Bait used includes skipjack, milkfish, tuna and ature. SPAWNING AGGREGATIONS MUST BE PROTECTED
• Nato fishing: Nato (squirrel fish) is generally caught at night from boats or from the reef. Rod or bamboo fishing line is use with white lures including feathers and white cotton. When fishing from a boat the rods are shorter. Generally, fishermen will fish near the reef passages. Dark nights are good for catching nato. Nato is abundant in Penrhyn.
• Milkfish pond culture: Milkfish ponds in Penrhyn are generally privately owned and stocked. Milkfish are usually farmed for a particular purpose or function, such as the opening of a new community building, for ceremonies, or other celebrations. During high tide, the young milkfish are driven into the fishponds and then the exit is blocked. Sometimes, milkfish fry will be transported manually to ponds using a bucket or basin. The milkfish are then left to grow for six months to over a year before they are harvested. A net is used for the harvest.
• Trochus: Populations of trochus on Penrhyn are increasing to harvestable numbers. It is expected that over the next 5-10 years trochus harvests will be economically viable. No management exists for any resources in Penrhyn with the exception of parau (pearl oysters). The island council has imposed a restriction on the use of SCUBA and hookah for the collection of wild shells and individuals must have a permit to farm or dive for shells. The majority of pearl oysters for the farms are collected from the wild. Pearl farmers free dive to collect the young oysters, often to great depths and for long periods of time.
