Fishing Poisons of the South Pacific

The crushed kernels of this plant (Cerbera) are used to poison fish. Barringtonia: another species whose toxic kernels provide a fish poison. Fishing Poisons Of the South Paeific A MONGST the many methods devised by South Pacific islanders for catch At the First South Pacific Conference (April, 1950) the ing fish, the use of poison plants de representatives of the island peoples expressed concern that serves mention. (Of course, these in some parts of the South Pacific, fishing methods included poisons can be effective only in ponds and streams or in the pools left at low the use of poisons and of explosives, and recorded the view tide on some reefs.) The method is that, wherever possible, these practices should be prohibited. practised almost everywhere in the islands, more particularly perhaps in the The Commission endorsed this resolution and commended it Western Pacific, although Polynesians to the attention of the governments concerned. also use, or used, it rather frequently. By JACQUES BARRAU* Most of the naturalists who visited in Fiji, Pittosporum, Barringtonia, Teph the plant used. In Leguminosae such as Polynesia in the course of the last cen rosia, Derris and Euphorbia. tury described a number of plants tradi the various Derris and Tephrosia it tionally used for poisoning fish. In New Caledonia, Derris, Cerbera seems that the active principle is a and Euphorbia are commonly used, as Methoxylactone (Rotenone in Derris, Moerenhout1 mentioned the use of well as Excoecaria agallocha and Entada Tephrosin in Tephrosia). Among the Tephrosia, Cerbera and Barringtonia in sp., probably gigas. Virot3, in his study Apocynaceae, the toxic effect might be connection with fishing in the islands of fishing poisons in this territory, was produced by Glucosides (Cerberine of now known as French Oceania. These surprised to find that |he natives did the Cerbera) as appears also to be the plants are found in most Polynesian not use Derris uliginosa, a plant com case for the Euphorbiaceae and Excoe islands, together with a few others such monly found in the island. He was mis caria agallocha. As for the Barring as Diospyros samoensis, whose fruits are taken, as local fishermen of the east tonia, the toxicity of the kernel, which used by Niue fishermen. coast commonly use it. is the part used in fishing, seems to be The number of fishing poisons is prob Most of the above-mentioned plants due to the presence of a Saponine. ably larger, and their employment more grow wild. However, in Fiji, New Cale Vegetable fishing poisons are used in common, in the islands of the Western donia and the Loyalty Islands some different ways. In some species, the Pacific. Gatty2 in the excellent study he Euphorbia are cultivated for fish poison. roots are used {Derris); in others, the recently made of this matter, mentions, Thus, the species described from New kernels (Cerbera, Barringtonia) or the Caledonia and the Loyally Islands under stems and leaves (Euphorbia). In New the name Euphorbia kanalensis is only Caledonia, the natives prepare bundles 1 Moerenhout, Voyages aux lies du Grand Ocean. Paris, 1837. found in the cultivated sate, propagated of leafy branches of Euphorbia kanalen 2 Gatty Use of Fish Poison Plants in the by cuttings, and can be observed in most sis, first pounding them roughly, and Pacific. Proceedings of the Fiji Society of Science and Industry. Suva, 1943. gardens. Similarly, in New Guinea, some throw them in the pool to be poisoned. 3 Virot, Les ulantes ichtyotoxiques de la species of Derris are commonly culti In rivers, these bundles are sometimes Nouvelle Caledonie. Revue Internationale de vated in the gardens. ?? „!S.ue ai'P'iquee et d'Agriculture tronicale- No. 327-328. Paris, 1950. * Mr. Barrau is Subsistence Agriculture Officer The toxic agent varies according to to the South Pacific Commission. SPC QUARTERLY BULLETIN, JULY, 1955 Page 7 Derris growing in a coastal village in the Morobe District, Nether lands New Guinea. Poison diffused from crushed roots of this plant thrown into water stuns fish, which can then be easily collected. placed upstream of some rough con and in the British Solomon Islands. traptions of rocks and branches, against It should indeed be acknowledged which the fish, stunned by the poison that, in most cases, the islanders knew diffused in running water, are collected. enough to exercise moderation in the The poison plants are sometimes use of fishing poisons. When these were cooked before use (Pittosporum, En- used strictly in the context of a subsist tada), while the toxic kernels of Bar- ence economy, it is highly probable that ringtonia and Cerbera are crushed or the practice of this fishing technique grated before throwing them in the never represented a serious threat to the water. resources of streams and reefs. * * * BIBLIOGRAPHY The use of fishing poisons is now pro (1) MOERENHOUT: "Voyages aux iles du hibited in many South Pacific territories. Grand Ocean", Paris, 1837. (2) GATTY: "Use of Fish Poison Plants in Sometimes, in view of the moderate use the Pacific", Proceedings of the Fiji Society made of them by the natives, adminis of Science and Industry, Suva, 1943. trations have felt it was preferable not (3) VIROT: "Les plantes ichtyotoxiques de la Nouvelle Caledonie", Revue Internationale de to ban these traditional techniques; this Botanique appliquee et d'Agriculture tropi- is the case in Papua and New Guinea, cale—No. 327-328, Paris, 1950. Page 8 SPC QUARTERLY BULLETIN, JULY. 1955 .

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