On , giant clams are regu- GIANT CLAM FISHING ON THE larly harvested by the general population for subsistence pur- OF TUBUAI, AUSTRAL poses (Chabouis 1965). Of the island’s 1979 inhabitants, 323 , FRENCH : people, often heads of families, hold professional farmer/fisher BETWEEN LOCAL PORTRAYALS, cards, which are required by the government. Nevertheless, cer- ECONOMIC NECESSITY tain families fish more than oth- ers and are recognised as "good" AND ECOLOGICAL REALITIES giant clam fishers. About 10 fam- ilies of fishers are more heavily involved in collecting pahua. INTRODUCTION Almost all giant clam fishers are Sébastien Larrue1 located in the township of Mahu Located south of the Tropic of in the southern part of the island Capricorn some 670 km south- (Fig. 1) west of , Tubuai is part of follow-up to three fact-finding the group. Tubuai trips to the island of Tubuai EFFICIENT ARTISANAL is a high island located between where giant clams have become a FISHING TECHNIQUE the islands of Rapa in the south- significant source of income for a east and in the north- small segment of the population. All fishers basically use the same west. It is volcanic in origin and technique to collect pahua. They has a land area of only 45 km2. In In addition to discussing the har- travel by boat to the middle of the contrast, the lagoon, which is vest of giant clams, the trade lagoon, out to the coral heads or enclosed by a coral reef, has an channels used, and income gen- to the reef, and insert the end of a area of 88 km2. Fishers collect erated, this article provides t-shaped metal bar, about 60 to 70 Tridacna maxima, a bivalve mol- another example of the "gap" cm long, between the two halves lusc known locally as pahua, from between local views, economic of the giant clam’s shell. They the lagoon. This edible giant reasoning and scientific claims then rapidly lever the bar to clam, which is found throughout regarding resources — a gap that detach the clam from its coral much of the Pacific2 is strictly pro- makes it difficult to agree on a base. Some fishers use what they tected and is listed in Appendix II common approach to the man- call a "hook" to detach the clams. of the CITES agreement3. Only agement of the clams. This tool, which is similar to a Pacific Islanders still have the gaff, is a flat metal pole about 60 right to collect giant clams and in STATUS OF GIANT CLAM cm long, one end of which is , regulations HARVESTS ON TUBUAI curved back. The hook is some- permit the harvest of specimens times attached to the end of a of more than 12 cm in size. The issue of T. maxima harvests two-metre pole, enabling fishers on Tubuai is complex; it is diffi- to detach clams from the surface Although giants clams have been cult to determine who exactly down to depths of two metres. widely harvested in most island collects giant clams, how often According to some reports, the groups of French Polynesia, par- they do so, and in what quanti- hook has the advantage of ticularly in the , T. ties. However, it is well known, pulling the pahua off the rocky maxima is still abundant in the at least on Tubuai, that many base without damaging it (Larrue eastern Tuamotu Islands and people harvest them. In addition, 2005). The hook is derived from a Austral Islands where signifi- according to inhabitants, the traditional sickle-shaped wooden cant-sized populations remain pahua belong to everyone and tool that made it possible to (Gilbert 2005). Nevertheless, the breed in large numbers, from the remove giant clams from corals recent decline in stocks in a few beach out to the reef. Some without damaging them. Tuamotu island groups and in believe that the pahua can even the Austral Islands is a cause of move about on the sandy bot- Normally, the clam meat is sup- concern for the Ministry of tom, rather like the migration of posed to be extracted onboard Marine Affairs. This article is a rock lobsters in the . the vessel and cleaned in the

1 Senior Lecturer in Geography, University of French Polynesia. Email: [email protected] 2 The geographical distribution of Tridacna maxima covers the western tropical Pacific, the Red Sea and the coasts of East (Rosewater 1965). 3 Washington Convention – Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.

36 SPC Fisheries Newsletter #116 – January/March 2006 GIANT CLAM FISHING ON THE ISLAND OF TUBUAI, AUSTRAL ISLANDS, FRENCH POLYNESIA . . .

lagoon before being piled into a makeshift container, locally called a touque (Fig. 2). The touque is the basic unit for giant clam fishing and represents about 20 kg of meat. Touques are made from old paint cans or plastic buckets. A touque can hold between 100 and 140 giant clams (i.e. around 5 to 7 pahua per kilo- gram of meat, a quantity that obviously varies depending on the size of the clam).

Clam fishers’ yields are based on the number of touques filled per hour. This number varies depending on the fishing site (abundance of the clams, accessi- bility, swell, water depth), the size of the clams harvested (12 cm or more), and how experienced the person is at harvesting clams. These parameters therefore mod- ify fishing yields considerably. In fact, depending on these vari- ables, filling a touque with giant clams takes between one and two hours of fishing time. According to our surveys, on average it takes an experienced fisher 90 minutes to fill a touque. This time includes both collecting the clams and cleaning them before pack- ing them in the buckets. Figure 1: Tubuai and its lagoon, showing the giant clam fishing areas. Today, this artisanal fishery seems to be gaining in populari- ty, and this has implications for conserving the resource, espe- cially as the income earned through giant clam fishing is rel- atively substantial.

QUANTITIES HARVESTED AND PAHUA FISHERY INCOME

As far back as people can remem- ber, giant clams have been har- vested on Tubuai, which implies that T. maxima has formed part of the normal diet in the Austral Islands for many years. Neverthe- less, while people did fish for giant clams in the past, this was done mostly to meet local food Figure 2. A touque of giant clams (Tridacna maxima). needs. Today, however, although These clams (>19 cm long) were collected from many people continue to eat Haramea. A touque is the local unit for giant clam pahua on Tubuai, except for sales, and represents 20 kg of pahua meat Seventh-Day Adventists who (i.e. 100 to 140 giant clams).

SPC Fisheries Newsletter #116 – January/March 2006 37 GIANT CLAM FISHING ON THE ISLAND OF TUBUAI, AUSTRAL ISLANDS, FRENCH POLYNESIA . . . consider giant clams to be tabu further detail below, that fish- Only a few fishers, who at pres- (prohibited), the clams have ers are not "in a rat race for ent have little involvement in become a significant and even income" but fish on an "as obtaining income from pahua, vital source of income for many needed" basis (i.e. they do not have reported that the number of fishers. go fishing if they feel that they giant clams is declining every- still have enough money). where around the island and has According to estimates, fishers been for the past five or six years on Tubuai harvest 1940 touques of Not all fishers are at the same (i.e. since commercial channels clams per year (i.e. 40.64 tonnes economic level. In fact, depend- have increased). of meat representing about ing on the person, the number of 243,840 giant clams)4, with an touques collected each month WILL INCREASING COMMERCIAL overall economic value on varies from 1 to 45, bringing in CHANNELS KILL THIS PRIZED Tubuai of some XPF 19,400,0005. monthly incomes of between RESOURCE? In addition to this quantity, giant XPF 16,000 and 360,000, respec- clams are occasionally harvested tively. All the fishers interviewed On Tubuai there are two major by the local community for food work to fill orders, some of channels, or origins, for the giant and by a few "unregistered" pahua which are placed on a regular clam fishery: 1) fishers fill orders fishers. Except in rare instances, basis whereas others are change- from Tubuai’s "non-fisher" popu- no fisher works alone; rather able or occasional. This situation lation, and 2) fishers respond they fish in groups of two to reflects the existence of several directly to requests from Tahiti. It seven people, often from the commercial channels for pahua is also possible for certain fishers same family. Giant clams can be on Tubuai. to use a hybrid system (i.e. one harvested all year round on the based on a combination of both island of Tubuai, but the price of In addition to these regular fish- local demand and orders from a touque varies (between XPF ers, there are also associations Tahiti). There are also additional 8000 and 10,000) depending on and religious groups that carry minor channels. three factors: out large-scale, one-off harvests for specific events. This is partic- Origin of demand 1. Geography: in Mahu, a touque ularly the case for the Mormon for giant clams generally sells for XPF 8000, community, which every year in while it can reach as much as April, sends about 27 touques to The first channel consists of XPF 10,000 around Haramea. Tahiti to finance travel costs for orders from people on Tubuai their young people. Some local who order one to four touques of 2. Climate: the state of the people said that in April 2005, the pahua from certain families. lagoon (e.g. heavy swell and association Ia tauturu ia na When the fisher has enough low temperatures) affects shipped out nearly one tonne of orders, he goes fishing. Payment fishing trips and can result in giant clams harvested in one day is made directly by local cus- price increases. During the by 11 people. tomers to fishers, with no mid- winter, dleman involved. This is proba- the price of a touque is about A preliminary study carried out bly the most visible channel. XPF 10,000 all around the on Tubuai by the Fisheries Questions then arise about island. Department indicated that giant where local orders end up: Why clam resources would be endan- do people on Tubuai order giant 3. Economy: according to a few gered by harvests of more than clams? Do they eat them them- fishers, the price of a touque four tonnes of meat annually selves, sell them, or send them as also varies depending on fish- (Gilbert, op.cit.). Therefore, even if gifts to family on Tahiti or ers’ needs for ready cash. The there were errors in the models ? same fisher might sell a used to set that threshold, the dif- touque for XPF 8000 at the ference between the maximum In fact, people on Tubuai who beginning of the month and quantity recommended to ensure order clams from fishers say that for XPF 10,000 at the end of the sustainability of this resource they do so to send them to rela- the month if he needs money. and the quantities actually collect- tives on Tahiti. This case often Similarly, the frequency of ed locally (i.e. more than 10 times involves "gifts" for festive occa- fishing trips also depends a greater than the replacement sions, but certain families buy great deal on how much fish- threshold) is such that there can pahua from relatives who are still ers feel they need money. We be no doubt that the giant clams living on Tubuai. Whatever the noted, as we will explain in are currently being overexploited. situation, this process is based

4 Estimate based on an average of 120 giant clams/touque. 5 Pacific franc; XPF100 is equal to EUR 0.840 and USD 1.09

38 SPC Fisheries Newsletter #116 – January/March 2006 GIANT CLAM FISHING ON THE ISLAND OF TUBUAI, AUSTRAL ISLANDS, FRENCH POLYNESIA . . . more on a form of "the exchange the elders when there was no hold about two touques. The cost of friendly services" than on commercial channel worthy of of shipping one sack is XPF 1000, commerce. Nevertheless, there the name on Tubuai. which is one-twelfth the air may be cases where this system freight cost. An employee in of family solidarity should be One of the first "official" commer- charge of registering all items verified as some people place cial giant clam operations on loaded onto the ship Tuhaa pae, orders with fishers every month, Tubuai was linked to the initia- estimated that slightly more than supposedly to "send to their rela- tive of a popaa6 , who in 1990 sent 40 touques of pahua are shipped tives". giant clams to Tahiti on a regular each month from Tubuai to basis. A middleman there Tahiti, which equals about 800 We consider that there are two received the pahua and supplied kg/month. According to our possibilities: either their relatives hotels, restaurants and super- informant, Raivavae exports on Tahiti eat practically nothing markets on Tahiti. The clams much more, about 2000 kg/ but pahua, or they resell these were packaged to meet the month. However, we think this is giant clams to hotels and restau- health standards required for an underestimate, since a single rants. Alternatively, the ship- large retail stores. The quantities Tubuai family specialising in ments are not based on aspects of of T. maxima sent equalled about giant clams harvests an average kinship at all but rather are direct 500–600 kg of meat per month. of 45 touques/month, which responses to orders from hotels At the time, the fishers who equals 900 kg of meat. Given this and agro-food industries on worked for the restaurant owner information, the Tahiti Fisheries Tahiti. Within this first channel each harvested 50 kg of meat in Department is trying to clarify then, there are people on Tubuai four or five hours of fishing. This the situation by obtaining better who act as "middlemen" (i.e. they was apparently the maximum estimates and — with the sup- place orders with fishers and yield and so the people who port of local authorities — has set resell the giant clams to contacts fished had the reputation of up controls for this purpose in Tahiti: restaurants, food vans, being good giant clam fishers. through the Rural Development major hotels, exporters, super- Today, that person no longer con- Service on Tubuai. markets, etc.). ducts this business, but others have taken over the work. A sensitive local situation The second channel consists of fishers working directly on On Tubuai there are only two It is not always easy to obtain orders for people in Tahiti. This ways of shipping goods: by boat information about giant clam channel is less visible and is or by plane. The plane makes an fishing on Tubuai because it is extremely difficult to obtain reli- average of four return trips a something of a "secret fishery" able information on. In principle, week. Giant clams are shipped that islanders do not discuss the fishers involved ship the by air for urgent but costly readily with "outsiders". In fact, orders to Tahiti but do not leave orders. The cost of air freight is there are no written records on Tubuai. In a very few instances, high: XPF 6000 to send one the giant clam fishery and the fishers such as those who live on touque (20 kg) of giant clams from Mayor’s Office has no informa- Mataura, supply pahua to the few Tubuai to Tahiti. People who say tion or reports on it. Giant clams snack bars on the island. that they are sending their giant account for significant financial clams to relatives often do so by revenues for fishers, and are even According to island elders, in the plane. However, this is quite an essential source of income for past people harvested pahua to expensive for a family shipment some. Only a few fishers dared to sell on Tubuai. At the time, this when the local cost of the touque respond to the embarrassing simply involved sales for local is added in, XPF 16,000 for one question — Is income from pahua consumption by people on the touque shipped to Tahiti. vital for your family or is it just island, often during festive occa- extra income? — by admitting sions. People harvested about Given the prohibitive cost of air that this income was essential for three touques of giant clams per freight, a large proportion of their households. People are day and sold the pahua for XPF exports appear to be carried by afraid to say that pahua can gen- 100/kg, which was very little boat except when shipments are erate increased levels of income income for work they considered urgent. Although the boat makes out of fear that the Territorial tedious. Fishers today are satis- only two return trips a month, Government will want to tax it. fied to see a touque sell for the low shipping costs compen- XPF 8000–10,000. Obviously the sate for the inconvenience. When Given this setting, the informa- current situation bears no rela- shipped by boat, the giant clams tion we did obtain tended to tionship to the time described by are packaged in flour sacks that show that the issue of possibly

6 Local name for people from metropolitan .

SPC Fisheries Newsletter #116 – January/March 2006 39 GIANT CLAM FISHING ON THE ISLAND OF TUBUAI, AUSTRAL ISLANDS, FRENCH POLYNESIA . . . managing giant clams is a source resource. These adults seem to be has none, and the bivalve itself is of conflict. In addition to work by more concerned with the future not subject to any prohibitions10. the Fisheries Department, local of pahua for their children. How- According to elders, pahua have authorities (the Mayor’s Office, ever, this is not the case with the never held any kind of symbolic Municipal Council and Council elders, who seem to want to prof- meaning on the island, unless it of Elders) have for several years it as much as possible from the has been forgotten. Apart from been discussing the possible resource without really worrying the ban on bringing the shells implementation of a rahui7 on about the future. While some back to land, they do not know of giant clams. On the island, the people do not want to hear any- any specific prohibitions relating authorities are aware that the thing about a rahui on giant to pahua. However, the giant pahua is subject to commercial- clams, they would like a rahui to clam is known locally as te metua level operations. However, it was be put on the price: No less than vahine o te miti (the mother of the at the specific initiative of the XPF 20,000 per touque. sea), which reveals that it was Tahiti Fisheries Department that traditionally considered impor- discussions about this matter Half of the Mayor’s Council is tant within the rest of the ecosys- recently resumed. In short, the still in favour of a rahui, while the tem. And, and in former times, Mayor’s Council, assisted by the other half is against it. Given this priests used giant clam shells for island’s "wise men", is divided conflict, the role of the elders religious rituals on the marae11, on this matter. must not be underestimated. In again indicating the giant clams' invoking the fact that no rahui on significance (Audran 1926). According to a few members of giant clams exists in oral tradi- the Council, a rahui must be put tions, it is apparent that the effect What is perhaps more interesting in place to ensure the survival of of their opinions is to swing the is that during a rahui, the prohib- the giant clams, but much hard situation in favour of uncon- ited area was delineated by neck- work still needs to be done to trolled fishing. laces of giant clam shells attached convince everyone of this. to the trees at the boundary of the According to several reports, LOCAL CONCEPTS ABOUT THE tabu zone. These areas were mon- managing pahua stocks by means PAHUA FISHERY ON TUBUAI itored by people called toohitu, of a rahui is vital to conserve "guardians of the sea". During the these resources. However, many Faced with apparently increasing rahui on giant clams, the sea was islanders believe that there are commercial exploitation, we felt divided up, and each part had a never-ending supplies of pahua. that it was important to find out name. However, the elders can no whether the people of Tubuai longer recall the names. When It is particularly noteworthy that, attributed any symbolic impor- the rahui was removed, people contrary to expectations, the old tance to giant clams that could be would go out fishing together, people, fishers or members of the used to limit harvests. which would ease tensions elders, are for the most part between families. Traditionally, against the rahui although they The sociocultural position giant clams were harvested with are supposed to be the guardians of giant clams pointed sticks made from the of tradition and resources. A few wood of the aito (Casuarina) root, elders stated that there has never The giant clam is apparently a and the meat was removed with been a rahui on giant clams on food that people are most likely bamboo "blades"(Gilbert, op. cit.). Tubuai and they do not under- to eat during festive occasions. It stand why there should be one is very commonly eaten at wed- Apart from this sketchy and now. In general, pahua fishers dings, during a ma’a8 or during largely irrelevant information, between the ages of 30 and 45 do the heiva9. According to fishers, it we were not able to gain any not seem to be particularly is much less commonly eaten other information on the socio- opposed to a rahui. Many are during regular meals "because cultural position of giant clams fathers with children but, more collecting pahua is a lot of work". on Tubuai. This suggests that it importantly, they are better In contrast to Raivavae, which would be difficult today to base a informed than the old people has a few legends about giant rahui on any kind of symbolism about a possible decline in the clams (Lherbier 1944), Tubuai in an effort to protect the

7 Rahui is the traditional system for managing lagoon resources. Sites were closed to fishing for a set time or a ban on harvesting specific species was imposed until such time as the ban was removed by the Council of Elders or wise men. 8 Ma'a refers to a traditional Tahitian meal with food steamed underground in a traditional oven, but also to a social or family gathering. 9 Heiva, which used to be called tiurai, is a long period of festivity during July. 10 Except for Seventh-Day Adventists who do not eat it. 11 Marae are religious edifices and traditional sacred sites. They usually consist of different levels of raised platforms built from stone, on which diverse ceremonies were practiced.

40 SPC Fisheries Newsletter #116 – January/March 2006 GIANT CLAM FISHING ON THE ISLAND OF TUBUAI, AUSTRAL ISLANDS, FRENCH POLYNESIA . . . resource by referring to tradition. before. According to the Rural been taken from. This tabu had On Tubuai, the only symbolism Development Service Officer on two bases: 1) to avoid cluttering that giant clams currently seem Tubuai, "There are giant clams the beaches with piles of shells to have can be summed up in everywhere around the island, that could cause injury, and 2) to terms of financial value. except between the airstrip and allow "reproduction of the the pass". This informant also shells". This practice is still in Is the pahua endangered on said that the shellfish is effect and the Tahiti Fisheries Tubuai? Fishers’ responses recolonising areas it had disap- Department encourages fishers peared from between Mataura to follow it. People are increasingly attracted and the first motus (islets) in to the income generated by pahua Mahu. Many fishers think that the shells fishing. The islanders consider come back to life in the lagoon. that the giant clams belong to In fact, fishers do not believe that Some fishers said that they had everyone, and individuals are stocks are declining as scientists noticed that after six months, the free to harvest as much as they claim. In addition to the reasons shells that they had thrown back like, as long as "they’re not afraid mentioned above, they think that into the lagoon "came back to to get their feet wet going out to collecting giant clams is not life", allowing renewal of the get them". harmful to the renewal of the giant clams. In this regard, some resource for two main reasons. "newly arrived" fishers who did When first asked about their pur- The first is based on a cultural not respect this tabu were strong- pose in fishing for pahua, many argument or recourse to tradition ly criticised by the community for fishers responded "to send to rel- — which is oral and therefore bringing giant clam shells back to atives in Tahiti". People may not difficult to verify — that claims the land. Since then, everyone has respond truthfully either because people have harvested giant been expected to respect the pro- they are afraid of being taxed on clams for many generations hibition and are persuaded that this fishery or because the without destroying the stocks. they are promoting giant clam authorities on Tahiti might put reproduction when they leave the restrictions on the collection of The second is linked to practices. shells in the lagoon. Neverthe- giant clams. At present, fishers In the past, custom dictated that less, as can be seen in Figure 3, are suspicious of territorial giant clam shells were never not everyone is following the pro- authorities and of what is being brought back to land (except for hibition. According to one fisher said about the decline of giant specific uses related to religious on Tubuai who was still living on clam stocks. Fishers also chal- rituals). They had to be thrown Tahiti in 1950, there were as many lenge certain scientific informa- back into the lagoon they had giant clams between Paea and tion that was poorly understood during meetings with the Fisheries Department. For exam- ple, they do not agree that a peri- od of five years is needed for giant clams to reach their "adult stage". Fishers think that clams reach this adult stage in two to three years. However, there is some confusion in their minds between the adult stage, which — from an ecological point of view — corresponds to sexual maturity, and the legal fishing size of 12 cm. In fact, fishers believe that the adult stage corre- sponds to the authorised size for collecting giant clams.

Almost all fishers interviewed Figure 3: Opening giant clams with a knife on had been harvesting giant clams the beach. Theoretically it is “prohibited” by for 15 to 20 years and sometimes custom to open pahua on the beach and to leave longer. They said that they had the shells there. This ban has also been issued not noticed any decline in stocks, by the Tahiti Fisheries Department, which with some saying that there were advocates throwing the empty shells back into now more giant clams than the lagoon to facilitate settlement of juvenile giant clams.

SPC Fisheries Newsletter #116 – January/March 2006 41 GIANT CLAM FISHING ON THE ISLAND OF TUBUAI, AUSTRAL ISLANDS, FRENCH POLYNESIA . . .

Papearii as there are on Tubuai. If Tabu zones front of their houses a few hun- there are not many giant clams on dred metres into the lagoon and Tahiti now "this is indeed because Given the situation described, we all the way out to the reef. In people brought the shells back to tried to find out if certain ancient Haramea, the fishers we encoun- land". beliefs linked to the French tered said that they also went Polynesian concept of tabu and across from their homes to the Secondly, fishers think that clean- sacred sites still exist, particularly lagoon and out to the reef. Many ing the giant clams in the lagoon regarding possible forms of tra- said that they had been harvest- "releases" and scatters the shell- ditional management of giant ing giant clams for 20 to 30 years fish’s eggs, which then develop clam stocks. and had not noticed any decline into new specimens. As with the in the pahua stock. miraculous "resurrection" of the However, traditional customs, shells, this is not the case. Accord- including those relating to the It appears that fishing areas are ing to the Fisheries Department, sacredness of sites and fishing no longer prohibited to permit at most this process might stimu- practices, seem to have disap- renewal of resources. The com- late and speed up reproduction in peared from Tubuai. Even the munity has no recollection of the nearby giant clams by releasing marae are no longer given any last time a rahui was used on pheromones that act as sexual special attention and are general- Tubuai. Furthermore, some eld- stimuli. In no case do the eggs ly overgrown by vegetation and ers themselves say that these thus released develop to term. treated with indifference12. For bans never involved giant clams. example, in Haramea, a 1.2-m Nevertheless, according to a few Given the current state of affairs, phonolite still standing on the reports, the motu pahua are the therefore, fishers do not see the ground, and locally called "the result of long-term dumping of point of setting up protection ringing rock", was once used to giant clam shells by the elders. zones for giant clams since they call people together, but to the According to these reports, it was do not believe that their fishing best of our knowledge, no one traditionally forbidden to get rid habits are a threat to the resource. remembers its precise history. of the shells elsewhere in the Their opinion is supported by According to legend, the island lagoon. The gradual build-up is the fact that there are still signifi- lost its navel, which was carried supposed to be the origin of the cant numbers of the shellfish in off to Maiao13 by the bird motu14. Today it is difficult to clar- nearly every part of the lagoon. guardian who was disappointed ify matters: is this a simple myth However, although they feel that in the behaviour of man. No one that has become part of the col- giant clam stocks are not actually remembers the exact reasons lective memory or is it the sur- endangered, opinions seem to be behind this disappearance and it viving traces of historically based divided. Some fishers have is rare to find a person who can facts? noticed that the number of giant still tell the entire history of Motu clams has declined all around the Ofai, the only phonolithic vol- In terms of traditional lagoon island. Based on what they have canic island in the lagoon. resource management, the old observed, the few fishers willing practices have been "forgotten". to admit this are not against the In practice, the local communities The islanders know that the rahui idea of an updated and well- fish all around the island, except system was used on Tubuai, but adapted rahui. For the moment, in those spots where the geomor- very few people know exactly they are in the minority. How- phology of the lagoon is not suit- when the system was aban- ever, it is important to note that able for harvesting giant clams. doned. Thus, there are no longer this group consists of fishers who When they want to collect giant any areas temporarily closed to are not dependent on income clams, fishers from Mataura go Tridacna maxima harvest, either in earned from giant clams, which by boat in the direction of fact or in the memory of oral tra- allows them a certain measure of Haramea or the first motus, dition. detachment. This is not the case Mautaro and Toéna, 6 km off- for fishers who are more heavily shore from Mataura. This entails CONCLUSION involved in sharing the proceeds fuel costs and probably explains from the sale of giant clams. why there are very few pahua There is little awareness of a pos- fishers in Mataura. In Tamatoa/ sible decline in pahua and many Mahu, people go directly out fishers seem to be convinced that from where they live and fish in this resource is inexhaustible, or

12 Except by a few people who are trying to maintain the island’s cultural heritage. 13 A high island in the Society group . 14 This version appears rather far fetched to us and we think that it is more likely that this pile of shells is the result of the lagoon’s own natural selection or hydrodynamic segregation processes.

42 SPC Fisheries Newsletter #116 – January/March 2006 GIANT CLAM FISHING ON THE ISLAND OF TUBUAI, AUSTRAL ISLANDS, FRENCH POLYNESIA . . . at least that is the impression bans are implemented. But most Gilbert A. 2005. Vers une gestion they gave. However, we did note importantly, vestiges of oral tra- durable de trois lagons de that near the village of Mahu — dition seem to be used by certain Polynésie Française : , in the very area where the largest elders as a shield to protect their (Tuamotu de l’Est) et number of giant clam fishers can economic interests. In fact, many Tubuai (Australes). Rapport be found — some 120 to 140 of them are directly involved in final, IRD/Service de la Pêche pahua are needed, on average, to obtaining revenue from the giant de Tahiti, juin 2005, 113 p. fill a touque. On the Haramea clam fishery. The existing gap side, 90 to 100 giant clams are between the local portrayal of the Larrue S. 2005. Rapport pour une enough to fill one. Although situation, economic reasoning, participation des acteurs large giant clams continue to be and scientific claims makes joint socio-économiques à la ges- harvested near Haramea, it does management of giant clam tion durable des ressources en seem that the fishers in Mahu are resources very difficult. In addi- bénitier dans le lagon de now harvesting large pahua from tion, this fishery is vital for Tubuai. Université de la younger generations. In addi- numerous families on Tubuai, Polynésie Française. Conven- tion, several fishers admitted that whose standard of living is one tion 5.0020/MPP/SPE, sep- they had to go into increasingly of the lowest in French Polynesia. tembre 2005, 30 p. deeper waters to find large giant clams. BIBLIOGRAPHY Lherbier L. 1944. Le bénitier (pahua), légende de Raivavae. Certainly there are still large Audran H. 1926. Marae des îles B.S.E.O n°71:442–447. numbers of Tridacna maxima on Tubuai et Raivavae. Bulletin Tubuai, but if the commercial de la Société des Études Rosewater J. 1965. The family sector continues its uncontrolled Océaniennes 12:35–36. Tridacnidae in the Indo- growth, we believe the situation Pacific. Indo Pacific Mollusca could quickly become critical. A Chabouis D. 1965. Contribution à 1(1):347–394. few indigenous people share this l’étude du régime alimentaire opinion and tend to favour put- des anciens polynésiens des ting a rahui in place. According to îles Australes. Bulletin de la them, giant clams will go the Société des Études Océanien- same way as remu seaweed15 if no nes 152 et 153:599–602.

15 This type of seaweed was harvested in large quantities by the community and sold with no control measures. Today it has almost disappeared.

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