Environment
Mass oyster mortality in Manihiki
Tuesday 6 March 2012 | Published in Environment
Pearl farmers have often described previous “dark periods” in Manihiki lagoon. The current dark state of the lagoon however is just part of the picture involving the complete mortality of all bivalves, including pearl oysters, below 25 metres in the Manihiki Lagoon. The culprit is thought to be La Nina weather conditions, according to Ministry […]
TIS calls for shark finning ban
Monday 5 March 2012 | Published in Environment
Te Ipukarea Society (TIS) is concerned that the Cook Islands lacks legislation to protect sharks from being hooked by foreign fishing vessels in its waters. Responding to a recent Radio New Zealand item about Marshall Islands police enforcing their newly-instituted shark fishing ban, TIS is pushing government to institute a similar ban – and in […]
Fishing groups review concerns
Saturday 3 March 2012 | Published in Environment
Representatives of all fishing associations under the umbrella of the Cook Islands Fishing Association (CIF) gathered for a two-hour annual general meeting on Tuesday afternoon. In attendance were fishers, marine biologists and representatives of the Ministry of Marine Resources (MMR). All members present elected this year’s executive – Don Beer replaces Mark Vaikai as president, […]
CITC gives cameras for turtle expedition
Thursday 1 March 2012 | Published in Environment
Capturing turtles in their natural habitat and documenting the marine creatures will be an easier task for the Cook Islands Turtle Project team who this week were donated two Panasonic FT3 Lumix waterproof cameras by CITC and Panasonic New Zealand. The Cook Islands Turtle Project, under the Pacific Islands Conservation Initiative umbrella, was recently awarded […]
All hands on deck to remove whale
Monday 27 February 2012 | Published in Environment
After eight hours of towing, weaving around coral heads and worry, the mission to get a whale carcass out of the Aitutaki lagoon almost failed in the final moments last Tuesday. After creating a harness to haul the massive corpse and slowly shifting it for eight hours through the lagoon to an opening in the […]
Soil school postponed
Saturday 25 February 2012 | Published in Environment
The Titikaveka Growers Association (TGA) this week has had to delay the soil school course that was scheduled to start on Monday and run for two weeks. TGA was unable to secure the numbers to make running the course worthwhile. “It is unfortunate and we apologise for any inconvenience for the postponement but it is […]
Guides gather to 'save our planet'
Wednesday 22 February 2012 | Published in Environment
Girl Guides in the Cook Islands are today celebrating World Thinking Day to commemorate the organisation’s members across the globe and the friendship that exists between them in all corners of the world. Cook Islands Girl Guides groups are part of a global network that takes in 145 countries and about 10 million members worldwide. […]
Turtles tracked for protection
Wednesday 22 February 2012 | Published in Environment
A number of turtle track sightings have been observed on Mauke’s southern shores recently. Tracks and indications of nests have been seen along beaches stretching from Anaiti to Pohutukava, a distance of just over 2km. Some coves have a myriad of criss-crossing tracks and dug areas, a common ploy of turtles to throw off predators. […]
Rubbish issues tackled on Mauke
Monday 20 February 2012 | Published in Environment
Mauke’s Environment Officer Basilio Kaokao is pleased to finally see a dream coming true as Mayor George Samuela and Island Secretary Teariki Rongo support his efforts to take Mauke’s waste management to new levels. The clearly marked mesh bins designated for aluminium, glass, plastic, and general waste are being distributed around the villages, thus making […]
Marine park target is August
Monday 20 February 2012 | Published in Environment
To accommodate the prime minister’s desire to formally launch the marine park in August, the steering committee in charge of determining its scope and size is working double-time. The committee originally agreed to meet on a ‘need-to’ basis, but chair Liz Koteka says that’s turning out to be ‘quite often’. Comprising the steering committee are […]
Turtle team heads to Palmerston
Monday 20 February 2012 | Published in Environment
An eight-person team from Rarotonga is headed to Palmerston in April to research the island’s sea turtle population. The Cook Islands Turtle Project (CITP) – a subsidiary of Pacific Islands Conservation Initiative (PICI) – recently received a grant from the Rufford Small Grounds Foundation to conduct sea turtle research on Palmerston. The funding has been […]
Problem 'swept under carpet'
Friday 17 February 2012 | Published in Environment
Contractors who mined a property in Betela of its sand which was later filled with illegally dumped rubbish have been instructed to remove the waste and properly secure the edges of the pit. The National Environment Service (NES) has instructed G&S Contractors, the company that mined the Betela property, to cease operations on the site, […]
Clean Pacific training underway
Thursday 16 February 2012 | Published in Environment
Nooroa Rangi of Ruaau, who has been spearheading the community’s Taau Taku Tita project, is representing the Cook Islands at a ‘Clean Pacific Campaign’ training workshop in Fiji this week. ‘Every Action Counts’ is the theme of the workshop, which was organised by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), at the Tanoa […]
Blooming main road in Arorangi before patai 'butchered'
Monday 13 February 2012 | Published in Environment
Aitutaki’s botanical garden owner Bill Tschan sent in this beautiful photo taken about 30 years ago of the patai (flame tree) lined main road in Arorangi. Tschan wanted to share this photo to show the youth of today “how blooming beautiful their island was before some ‘genius’ minister at the time butchered the trees”.
Teariki talks tough on tita
Monday 13 February 2012 | Published in Environment
Teariki Heather, Minister of Infrastructure and Planning (MOIP), didn’t mince his words when he voiced his opinions on the issues of waste management in the country. Speaking on Friday at the launch of the Taau Taku Tita 2012 campaign aimed at reducing and improving waste management, Heather pointed the finger at bad management of the […]
Ruaau praised for recycling
Saturday 11 February 2012 | Published in Environment
The small Ruaau Tapere in Puaikura was praised at the launch of the Taau Taku Tita campaign on Friday for the district’s proactive approach to minimising waste. The Ruaau community, with financial assistance from the Global Environment Fund and the National Environment Service, has purchased a number of recycle bins for residents in the village. […]
Govt backs Taau Taku Tita
Saturday 11 February 2012 | Published in Environment
Creating a cleaner and greener Cook Islands and putting the onus on the community at large to take responsibility for their rubbish was the main focus at the launch of the Taau Taku Tita campaign at the Rarotonga Waste Facility in Arorangi yesterday. The Taau Taku Tita campaign – loosely translated as ‘our rubbish’ – […]
Countries weigh cost benefits of climate adaptation
Thursday 9 February 2012 | Published in Environment
The third and final series of the ‘Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change – Cost Benefit Analysis Workshop’, focusing on coastal sector pilot projects, is currently underway in Apia. Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change (PACC) Cook Islands national coordinator Vaipo Mataora is representing the Cook Islands at the conference. The week-long training at the Secretariat of […]
Growers invited to 'soil school'
Thursday 9 February 2012 | Published in Environment
The Titikaveka Growers Association (TGA) is encouraging growers and people with an interest in agriculture to sign up for an introduction to ‘soil school’ course starting on March 5. TGA asks that people register their interest at their earliest convenience, so it can start confirming numbers. Space is limited – the course is only open […]
Growers showcase progress
Thursday 9 February 2012 | Published in Environment
New Zealand High Commissioner John Carter got down and dirty with the Titikaveka Growers Association (TGA) yesterday. Maybe that’s a stretch, but Carter did hop into the back of a ute to tour the nursery and newly-established compost centre – the fruits of both TGA’s labour and a bit of New Zealand Aid Programme funding. […]
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