THE AITUTAKI LAGOON FISHERY Consolidated report of field surveys and recommendations by the Ministry of Marine Resources in conjunction with the UK/South Pacific Commission Integrated Coastal Fisheries Management Project (ICFMaP), by T.J.H. Adams1, I. Bertram2, P. Dalzell1, J. Dashwood1, M. Koroa2, E. Ledua1 W. Marsters2, S. Matoto1, J. Ngu2, O. Terekia2 & P. Tuara1 1 South Pacific Commission, BP D5, Noumea, New Caledonia 2 Ministry of Marine Resources, PO BOX 85 Rarotonga Cook Islands January 1999 Table of Contents Introduction .....................................................................................................................................................................1 Previous Studies on Aitutaki Fisheries and Marine Environment..................................................................................2 Lagoon Environment...................................................................................................................................................2 Previous Fisheries Surveys.........................................................................................................................................4 SPC - MMR 1995 SURVEY .........................................................................................................................................7 Socio-economic and fisheries household survey........................................................................................................7 Methods...................................................................................................................................................................7 Results.....................................................................................................................................................................7 Fishing frequency....................................................................................................................................................7 Fishing gear.............................................................................................................................................................8 Estimated fish catch from the Aitutaki lagoon........................................................................................................8 Fish consumption..................................................................................................................................................10 Invertebrate fishing...............................................................................................................................................10 Fishing vessels ......................................................................................................................................................11 Fishing area...........................................................................................................................................................11 Sale vs subsistence................................................................................................................................................12 Fish price...............................................................................................................................................................12 Opinions on environmental changes.....................................................................................................................13 Visual census ............................................................................................................................................................14 Methods.................................................................................................................................................................14 Results...................................................................................................................................................................15 Controlled spear-fishing experiment ........................................................................................................................19 Methods.................................................................................................................................................................19 Results...................................................................................................................................................................20 Reef fish tagging .......................................................................................................................................................23 Methods.................................................................................................................................................................23 Results...................................................................................................................................................................23 Decline of bonefish stocks........................................................................................................................................24 Decline of giant clam stocks.....................................................................................................................................25 Giant clam introductions...........................................................................................................................................25 Ciguatera incidence & management.........................................................................................................................26 Species checklist and local names............................................................................................................................27 Recommendations arising from the first survey .......................................................................................................27 SPC - MMR 1996 SURVEY .......................................................................................................................................31 Introduction...............................................................................................................................................................31 Trochus resource survey and harvest recommendations..........................................................................................32 Bêche-de-mer (rori) fishery prospects for Aitutaki..................................................................................................33 Export restrictions.....................................................................................................................................................36 Gillnet Restrictions ...................................................................................................................................................36 Island Council Meeting.............................................................................................................................................37 Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................................................44 REFERENCES .........................................................................................................................................................45 APPENDIX I. Scientific, local and common names for fishes observed at Aitutaki ..............................................48 APPENDIX II Continuous monitoring programmes for Aitutaki Lagoon Fishery..................................................51 Introduction...........................................................................................................................................................51 Aitutaki fishery monitoring...................................................................................................................................51 Ciguatera Cases & Dinoflagellate Monitoring.....................................................................................................55 APPENDIX III: PROFILE OF SURGEONFISH RESOURCES ON AITUTAKI................................................56 Introduction...........................................................................................................................................................56 Surgeonfish species at Aitutaki ............................................................................................................................56 Biology..................................................................................................................................................................57 Resource................................................................................................................................................................60 Management..........................................................................................................................................................61 APPENDIX IV - RELEVANT LOCAL LEGISLATION.......................................................................................63 APPENDIX V – RELEVANT NATIONAL LEGISLATION................................................................................69 APPENDIX V - Summary of trochus transect data from three surveys ..................................................................73 Introduction The island of Aitutaki is part of the southern Cook