Concerns had been raised from residents in Muri regarding cages holding sea urchins locally known as “avake” (Tripneustes gratilla) in Muri lagoon.
The Cook Islands National Environmental Services have reminded the public once again of the restrictions surrounding the removal of pa’ua (giant clam meat and shells) from the reef and taking the shellfish out of the country.
Coastal fisheries production on Nauru
The Republic of Nauru is a single raised limestone island or makatea with a total area of only 22 km2 (Figure 1), but with jurisdiction over 320,000 km2 of ocean surrounding the island under the United Nations Law of the Sea convention. The island consists mainly of a flat plateau that descends to a narrow coastal fringe where most of the population dwell. The plateau interior contains extensive deposits of phosphate bearing rock which have been mined since the beginning of the twentieth century.
On November 30, 2020, Bureau of Marine Resources (BMR) and Ebiil Society announced the first successful breeding of sea cucumber in the lab in Palau. Sea cucumber (Molech), is one of the local seafood species of high cultural and economic value, especially among Palauan fisherwomen.