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The 15 islands of the Cook Islands have been occupied by its native maori people since the great Pacific migrations in large voyaging canoes or VakaMoana, which took place fromthe Polynesian homeland of Avaiki4, possibly since 500-600AD. The deep and wide waters connecting these islands have always been used as highways and for the resources they contain. Our people developed a distinct Polynesian perspective, language, lifestyle and culture.

Reports from the PACC project

Report from the PACC project

The village community expressed their support and agreed that village by-laws are necessary for Tafitoala. As expressed this will assist the village council of chiefs in managing resources and set up formal penalties for those who may/will breach the village laws. Following the initial planning workshop the MNRE (WRD) prepared a community consultation with the entire community, to undertake a situational analysis as well as gauge views of the village on what rules were necessary for the continuing sustainability of the resource. It was expected that the community consultation will provide all the baseline information of what problems were and how the village groups foresee by-laws as a means of protecting the resource from these problems.