Source: Quarterly Statistical Bulletin, 2002
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The Fisheries Industry

As per the Census of Agriculture and Fisheries (2000), the total number of fishery households in the Cook Islands numbered 1703. Out of these 59 owned motorized boats (5-6m) while 192 non-motorized boats with an average length of 3.6m. Out of 1703 fishery households, majority (1479) carried out fishing purely for own consumption and not for sale while 135 households sold about 1/ 4 of the catch, 69 households sold half of the catch, 10 households ¾ of the catch and the balance 10 who operate on commercial basis sold all the catch. The most common method of fishing is net fishing, mainly gill netting (235 households), followed by collection of shells/ mollusks (218), hook and line (217), spear gun (205) and trolling (57 %). The frequency of fishing ranged from 3-10 fishing trips per month.

Main fishery of commercial importance in Cook Islands is tuna long lining which started in the mid-90s by licensing foreign fishing vessels operating out of American Samoa. During 1994-96 period nearly 1230mt of tuna, mainly albacore, valued at NZ$ 1.7million were taken to Pago-Pago for canning. Since then, licensing of foreign fishing vessels has been stopped, with the exception of 3 American Samoan long line vessels licensed for test fishing. In contrast, since the beginning of 2001 the domestic long line fishery has grown rapidly from 3 boats to 20 of 12-43 meter vessels as of April 2003, 11 of which are based in the capital Raratonga in the southern islands while the rest are based in the northern islands. Catch data analysis suggests that northern waters are almost 35% more productive than southern waters.

The boats operating from the southern waters, which have easy access to land-based processing and storage facilities as well as air transport, target tuna/ big eye sashimi market in Japan and the US. In 2002 the southern fishery has air freighted nearly 175mt of sashimi tuna, out of a total landing of 317mt. The balance was released to the local market. Fisheries in the northern waters, which primarily target albacore, deliver the catch to canneries in American Samoa.

                                       Cook Islands long line landings in 2002 (mt)