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Current Projects
 Cook
Islands Turtle Project
This project, initially a 3 year research project,
is currently planning for next 3 years beyond 2012. The project
is conducting a series of ongoing research programmes with
associated activity in order to build a knowledge base of
Sea Turtle behaviour for the Cook Islands, strengthen the
institutional capacity to protect Sea Turtles and build community
awareness of the need for conservation.
For more information on the Turtle Project,
the current work being carried out and what has been achieved
so far visit the turtle page, here
 Cook
Islands Shark Sanctuary
Visit our Shark
page for more detailed information.
The Cook Islands has a very large EEZ, taking
up a significant area of the central east tropical South Pacific.
There are commercial Tuna fisheries active in the waters of
the Cook Islands and many fishing vessels transit through
these waters heading to American Samoa to offload catch.
The Pacific Islands Conservation Initiative
is very concerned about the serious decline and future plight
of sharks worldwide, being heavily diminished by slaughtering
for the lucrative asian shark fin trade.
There is no customary fishing of sharks in the
Cook Islands, and sharks hold a special place of reverence
in many Cook Islands legends. Protecting these creatures would
be a step that protects a key identity of these remote island
communities.
In addition, legislation protecting sharks and
making the possession of shark material illegal would have
the effect of supporting current fisheries laws and give enforcement
agencies more scope as they battle the huge burden of illegal
fishing in the Cook Islands waters.
Aitutaki Lagoon Monitoring Project
Visit the ALMP site to get althe information
on this eco-volunteer project assisting the community of Aitutaki
manage their lagoon.
almp.picionline.org
 Conservation
Education Project
Following on from a successful educational episode
with the remote community or Rakahanga, the Cook Islands Ministry
of Education have engaged PICI to develop educational material
that covers environmental and conservation issues in the Cook
Islands.
4 topics will be developed with resources for
students and teachers alike, as well as field projects so
students can gt out in the environment and see what they are
learning about. Each topic is structured to include several
cirriculum objectives making them an appicable and interesting
way to earn educational credits.
Rubbish Roundup
Each September PICI plans a month of clean up
events around Rarotonga. The focus is on coastal areas and
underwater cleanups. This year we partnered with the Nartional
Environment Service and Cook Islands Trading Corporation to
deliver 7 events. Over 1.5 Tonnes of rubbished was removed
from Rarotonga's environment, much of it recyclable.
As part of the clean ups we seperate and weight
all waste, with plastics, cans and glass all going to their
respective recycling centres.
View an Image
Gallery for rubbish Roundup.
Northern Group Waste Removal Project
The Cook Islands are vastly spread out and our
Northern atolls of Manihiki, Rakahanga, Pukapuka and Penrhyn
are highly vulnerable to the effects of waste, especially
hazadous wastes and chemicals. PICI is developing a strategy
to collate, sort and backship waste to Rarotonga for recycling
or processing, rather than have the waste buried on the islands
where leaching is effecting the lagoon.
The intent is to establish the process then
hand over to the government for ongiong operation.
Page updated by Stephen Lyon, 16 December 2012
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