Environment
Alternative farming methods advocated
Thursday 3 March 2011 | Published in Environment
Climate change is already affecting Cook Islands agriculture, according to grower Teava Iro. The affect of climate change on agricultural practices and production was discussed during the first day of the week-long workshop being held in Rarotonga. The National Adaption Planning Week began when local issues to do with prolonged weather pattern changes and adaption […]
Bonefishery requires 'conversion'
Saturday 26 February 2011 | Published in Environment
The Ministry of Marine Resources is happy its new bonefish management plan, which includes the Aitutaki lagoon, is being supported by most within the island’s community. MMR secretary Ben Ponia says a few locals remain opposed to the regulations, which were formally adopted in October and will start to be enforced at the beginning of […]
Fancy gear for lagoon tests
Wednesday 23 February 2011 | Published in Environment
Muri lagoon will host some magnificent machines and expensive equipment in its waters over the next 40 days. SOPAC, the Applied Geoscience and Technology Division of the Secretariat of the Pacific, is lending the gear to the Cook Islands as part of the Muri Water and Sanitation Project – a water quality monitoring programme that […]
Scientists testing lagoon quality
Thursday 17 February 2011 | Published in Environment
The curious white poles planted in the Ngatangiia lagoon this week do indeed serve a purpose. A team of researchers from Southern Cross University, the University of Texas, the Ministry of Marine Resources and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Planning is testing lagoon and inland areas to get a clearer picture of the nutrient makeup […]
Kids raise water and sanitation awareness
Thursday 17 February 2011 | Published in Environment
Vaka Takitumu school pupils have until this Friday to complete their various projects as part of the education awareness competition organised by the Muri Environment Care Group in conjunction with the European Union Muri Water and Sanitation Project. Students have been researching, writing and creating posters under the water and sanitation topic with the view […]
Nominations for RIEA due today
Tuesday 8 February 2011 | Published in Environment
Nominations for members of the Rarotonga Island Environment Authority close today at midday. The Rarotonga Island Environment Authority is a body which determines applications for permits and makes decisions pertaining to Environmental Impact Assessments. It also approves policies and work programmes to be adopted by National Environment Service (NES). The Rarotonga Island Environment Authority consists […]
Rethink Raui policies
Saturday 5 February 2011 | Published in Environment
Dear Editor, This letter is to support the disappointed Raui supporters that witnessed a total rape and pillage of the Raui in Mauke. I am always a believer in our Raui system but not the Rauis that are temporarily put in place and then harvested. A Raui should be there to sustain on going marine, […]
YWAM cleaning up
Friday 4 February 2011 | Published in Environment
Youth With A Mission (YWAM) Cook Islands is embarking on a mission to clean up Rarotonga whilst spreading the gospel, YWAM administrator Martha Ene said. YWAM staff has already started picking up rubbish and cleaning the beaches, and have submitted an application to National Environment Services (NES) for a permit to clear drainage ditches of […]
Dorrell lays out the facts
Thursday 3 February 2011 | Published in Environment
Coastal Environmental International Ltd managing director Don Dorrell believes that before the community enters into a debate about the cultural, economic and environmental significance of the pa – fish traps – built on the reef, those on both sides of the fence should consider the facts. In recent months segments of the community have pointed […]
Arorangi jetty benefit highlighted
Wednesday 2 February 2011 | Published in Environment
Yesterday’s unfavourable sea conditions off Avarua provided an opportunity to highlight the benefit of the proposed alternative Arorangi cruise ship jetty. The Paul Gauguin cruise ship was unable to disembark its 350 passengers at the Avatiu harbour yesterday due to 20 knot northeasterly winds. Instead the ship’s captain was asked to sail the Paul Gauguin […]
400 paua killed as Mauke raui fails
Tuesday 1 February 2011 | Published in Environment
The mass killing of hundreds of young paua on Mauke island will lead to a review of the raui there. In 2008 a raui was put in place on the island from Patito to Anaio, a half kilometre stretch of lagoon which includes one of Mauke’s noted tourist attractions, a salt water swimming cave known […]
It's World Wetlands Day tomorrow
Tuesday 1 February 2011 | Published in Environment
Wednesday February 2 is World Wetlands Day. The day marks the date of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands on February 2, 1971, in the Iranian city of Ramsar. The National Environment Services has dubbed 2011 the Year of the Wetlands and will throughout the year undertake actions aimed at raising public awareness of […]
New climate change job created at USP
Thursday 27 January 2011 | Published in Environment
USP is advertising a new position at its Cook Islands campus – an in-country project coordinator to implement and oversee climate change directives. The coordinator will be part of USP’s recently approved climate change project, which is funded by the European Union and directed by the Pacific Centre for Environment and Sustainable Development (PACE-SD). The […]
Muri volunteers clean up
Thursday 20 January 2011 | Published in Environment
Over 40 Muri residents armed with rakes, gloves and rubbish bags took to the beaches in Ngatangiia to clean up the mess left behind by beach goers during the festive season. The clean up began at the Nukupure Park and sports grounds where organic rubbish was raked up and removed from the beach along with […]
Avana stink explained
Tuesday 18 January 2011 | Published in Environment
The rotting mass of seaweed that was cause of the foul stench in an Avana stream was cleaned out on Saturday – but Avana will always, at this time of year, continue to smell. Ngatangiia beautification committee member Willy Kauvai says that on Saturday a crew cleaned out the mess in the stream next to […]
Thrips eater to stop pest
Monday 17 January 2011 | Published in Environment
The Cuban laurel thrips (Gynaicothrips ficicorum) remains a major pest on Rarotonga since its discovery in November 2009 – but its numbers are set to decrease with the recent introduction of a biological control insect that feeds on the thrips. Ministry of Agriculture entomologist Dr Maja Poeschko says that when they discovered the thrips they […]
Kids learn to protect lagoon
Monday 17 January 2011 | Published in Environment
Just over 60 kids aged between 5 and 16 became warriors on Friday – Eco Warriors committed to protecting the environment. But the children needed little promoting to rattle off the causes of pollution in the Muri lagoon and what people could do to protect the environment including the lagoon. To give the young environmental […]
Warriors born
Saturday 15 January 2011 | Published in Environment
Just over 60 kids aged between 5 and 16 became warriors yesterday – Eco Warriors committed to protecting the environment. But the children needed little prompting to rattle off the causes of pollution in the Muri lagoon and what people could do to protect the environment including the lagoon. To give the young environmental warriors […]
Eco Warriors go to Koromiri
Thursday 13 January 2011 | Published in Environment
Fun activities are being organised for this Friday’s Muri Eco Warriors gathering at Muri beach to give Ngatangiia youth a better understanding of the state of the environment in their back yard – especially the health of Muri lagoon. The Muri Eco Warriors is an environmental youth group dedicated to engaging future leaders of the […]
Sharks sighted in lagoon
Tuesday 11 January 2011 | Published in Environment
Two sharks spotted in the lagoon have prompted the Ministry of Marine Resources to urge people to be mindful when heading out for a cooling dip in the sea. But there’s no need to panic – the two sharks were spotted in the Arorangi lagoon area over the Christmas weekend. Vaiimaanga resident Arama Wigmore had […]
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