Thursday 29 August

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Te reo o te KUKI AIRANI

$2 Thursday, August 29, 2013

Mauke petitions against purse seining A PeTITIon begun circulating yesterday on the island of mauke that hopes to persuade Prime minister Henry Puna to stop purse seining in the Cook Islands. Behind the drive is June and Andrew Hosking, who came up with the idea to draft the petition after discussing the issue of fisheries management with maukean civic leaders. Addressing the Pm, the petition says, “We, the people of mauke ask that you stop negotiations with the european Union purse seiners and phase out all purse seine ishing within the Cook Islands eeZ”. In addition, the petition asks for ishing aggregating devices (FADs) to be allowed for use strictly by local small scale ishers, and to review fish prices charged to foreign ishing vessels.

Prices must “relect the true value of this natural resource which we believe to be as valuable, if not more so than oil because when oil runs out we have alternative energy sources, but when the ish run out we cannot make more.” A review of total allowable catch (TAC) is also called for to ensure ishing “is kept to a sustainable level that will ensure food security for future generations of Cook Islanders.” As of yesterday afternoon the petition had gathered 60 signatures, roughly 20 per cent of the island’s population. Currently, the Cook Islands and the european Union are in negotiations for a fisheries partnership agreement (FPA), which EU oficials say includes provisions for four purse seiners with a combined gross tonnage of 6,500 tonnes to fish in the

country’s eeZ. negotiations were conducted between mmR and european oficials last month, and a draft agreement is currently in the hands of cabinet. Yesterday, June Hosking stressed the petition is not aimed directly at the government or Pm Puna, who is currently the acting minister for marine resources. “This is not against the government, it’s for sustainability,” said Hosking, who is hoping to gain the support of 80 per cent of the voting population of the island before taking the petition to other islands in the pa enua. Pm Puna has said recently he intends to consult heavily with the public on the proposed ishing deal, and has also expressed concern that a inalised agreement could have a destabilising effect in the Paciic region.

“This access agreement is not going anywhere anytime soon,” he said. In order to muster initial local support for the petition, Hosking said she went on television along with mauke mayor George Samuela—a long time fisherman and president of mauke’s Fishing Club. “He has witnessed irst hand the stock’s decline and reduced sizes of ish caught,” she said. The petition says many maukeans, in addition to mayor Samuela, are catching smaller ish, and are harder to ind. “We are also seeing commercial fishing boats not far from our island which concerns us. Fish are a critical part of our local economy and health as it provides a cheap source of healthy food for us,” reads the petition. “We don’t need them, they need us,” said Hosking. “Let’s

Pacific flavour

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New Zealand’s celebrated chef Robert Oliver (in white) enjoys Cook Islands cuisine by the lagoon with locals, including Tua Pitman (right). Oliver visited the Cook Islands with the Zoomslide ilm production team earlier this year to ilm part of ‘Real Pasiik’ – a new food show that aims to create long-lasting efects on the way Paciic Island cuisine is viewed by the world. With 70 per cent of food for tourists currently being imported, the show has taken on the lofty goal to turn this on its head so that within ive years, 70 per cent of food is grown locally instead.

Cook Islands prominent in food show with a conscience, page 12

demand a fair payment for our resources and tell them what they can have and how they take it, keeping our Cook Island’s future as the priority.” The maukean resident also said economic development should not come at the expense

of the environment. “many are aware our oceans are in crisis, the smart ones are taking action to reduce their negative impact. We have the opportunity to lead by example, let’s do it.” - Emmanuel Samoglou

Hunter cleared on drugs charge A mAn involved in one of the largest seizures of cannabis plants by Cook Islands police has been acquitted on a charge of cannabis cultivation. Panama man Gene Hunter, 40, maintaining his innocence on the charge since his arrest on September 26 last year, thanked the jury briely after the charge was dismissed. The verdict was reached by majority vote, with 9 out of 12 jurors voting not guilty after a four hour deliberation. Despite being free of the cultivation charge, he will be sentenced on Friday for a charge of possession of cannabis. Hunter had pleaded guilty to a charge of cannabis possession on Tuesday, before his trial for both cannabis possession and cultivation was due to resume. The High Court then put the possession charge to the side and proceeded to try Hunter on the remaining charge of cannabis cultivation, calling three witnesses to testify. The trial lasted until late afternoon with prosecution witness acting sergeant John George, and defence witnesses Hunter and his partner Deborah Cox being called to testify. George and Hunter were crossexamined. During cross-examination Hunter maintained that he did not know anything about the cannabis plants found by police in a neighbouring section. He also claimed that a path leading into the section was made by police and that there were other entry points into the section, including a hole made through scrub, that police failed to ind. It was also revealed during cross-examination that Hunter had told different stories about

the discovery of lids belonging to plant pots containing the cannabis plants. The pots were made of cooking oil containers that had their lids removed. Hunter claimed in a police video interview taken the day he was arrested that he discovered the lids in a bucket on the neighbouring section and brought them over to his property. He said yesterday that his son had found the lids. Gardening implements such as sacks of mulch, cow manure and makeshift watering cans were also found on Hunter’s property by police, which he described as items he used for his own garden. The trial came to a conclusion yesterday morning after Justice Colin Doherty, prosecution and defence lawyers made inal submissions addressing the jury. In his address to the jury Justice Doherty advised them that when deliberating evidence and coming to a conclusion to be impartial and focus only on the evidence brought forward during the trial. In September last year police searched Hunter’s property and found up to 62 makeshift pots containing cannabis plants on an unoccupied property behind his house and implements used in plant growing in his back yard. Dried cannabis was also found inside Hunter’s house. He was arrested and initially charged with cannabis possession, cultivation and possession for supply. The possession for supply charge was dropped due to late submission of documents. The maximum penalty for cannabis cultivation is 20 years imprisonment. - Merita Wi-Kaitaia Ph 24979

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