Marine Resources Division, Rarotonga, Cook Islands Aquaculture
development in the Cook Islands is presently being examined with
interest by the Ministry of Marine Resources. The ministry's
aquaculture priorities include culturing giant clams (Tridacna
deresa) and milkfish (Chanos chanos) for stock enhancement.
Present State of Milkfish Production Milkfish are abundant in
the coastal waters of the northern Cook Islands such as Manihiki
and Penrhyn, and in fewer numbers off Rakahanga and Pukapuka.
Two other northern atolls, Suwarrow and Nassau, have no record
of milkfish sighting in their coastal waters. Milkfish inhabit
brackish water ponds adjoining the lagoon. Ponds situated
further inshore are used for milkfish culture. At very high
tides milkfish fry and fingerling naturally enter ponds
adjoining the lagoon through small inlets. Milkfish fry and
fingerling are manually transferred to stock inshore ponds. On
the island of Manihiki at one particular inshore pond, milkfish
farming is strictly regulated by the