Is There Any Hope For Aitutaki?
Printed From: The Fishing Website
Category: Saltwater Fishing
Forum Name: Saltwater Flyflingers
Forum Description: A forum for saltwater fly fishing enthusiasts
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=122210
Printed Date: 25 Jan 2026 at 10:41pm
Topic: Is There Any Hope For Aitutaki?
Posted By: FishMan
Subject: Is There Any Hope For Aitutaki?
Date Posted: 25 Nov 2016 at 4:20pm
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I received the following trip report from a friend who was at Aitutaki recently. It makes pretty sad reading. Makes you wonder if there is any hope
for the place when the locals obviously do not care about the status of the
island as a destination for fly fishing tourists.
This was the bulk of the report-
I saw some monster Boners tailing in the lagoon...all buggered off when cast to… An aussie was landing them hand over fist using shrimp and crab meat on a hook and Bubble thingy..... he landed a monster one afternoon...... took him to hell and back for about half an hour..... each to there own . Stayed on Akaiami, saw some Bones but very shy... then watched the locals net the bejesus outa the place... dozens of big bones and trevs... parrott , goat fish and worst of all ..........BIG MILK fish !”
So – spooky fish, Aussie tourists using bait to catch bones (???) And a bunch of locals netting the hell out of one of the more stunning fly fishing beaches on the planet. That stunningly beautiful Akaiami beach-front can have great shelter, good visibility and – when the netters haven’t buggered the place up- big bones cruising close to the shore. It’s a magical spot, but it’s being rooted by the locals and their need to eat fish. Obviously there is a need for a source of cheap fish protein on the island. Most of the pelagic fish go straight to the restaurants, the locals eat the stuff netted in the lagoon. There is a need to replace that fish with something else. You would hope though that the Cook Islands Government could get behind some deepwater drop-lining, or milkfish farming, or… something… anything that might provide Aitutaki with an abundance of relatively cheap eating fish that might take some pressure off the lagoon net fishery. Without some sort of real initiative from the Government I can’t see a lot of hope for Aitutaki’s bonefish and the lagoon fishery in general. Sad really.
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Replies:
Posted By: Fraser Hocks
Date Posted: 25 Nov 2016 at 4:54pm
Yep... thats happening for sure. I made a few comments about the netting I saw when I was there and was shot down and told to shut up by some that obviously thought it was bad publicity. I was even told by one well known person that they weren't netting for bonefish? (in regards to a net been set on the Samade flats. Wished id taken photos, as many wouldn't believe me what I saw) They obviously lack the nouse to realize that a net like that takes everything that swims in its path.  Its a real pity as you say. The locals could be making a good living out of their fishery but they prefer a more simple life of netting for fish in the lagoon. Its unfortunate but im afraid a tiger doesn't change its stripes... well in the short term at least.
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Posted By: muchalls
Date Posted: 25 Nov 2016 at 9:38pm
| My dream destination has been shattered! |
Posted By: FishMan
Date Posted: 26 Nov 2016 at 7:14am
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Muchalls, there is still many good things about Aitutaki. The trevally fishing is still good and- because GT's get ciguatera and have been banned from sale- the GT fishing goes from strength to strength. However, fly fishers go to Aitutaki for the world record sized bonefish that reside there and therein lies the problem- bonefish live on sandy flats and the only place you can effectively drag a net in a coral dominated environment is on a sandy flat. So, despite the fact that bonefish have supposedly been banned from sale (and we all pay a $50/week lagoon fishing licence in acknowledgement of this 'fact') netting still goes on directly on the best flats. Goatfish, milkfish and mullet are said to be the targets, but if you net on bonefish flats you are going to catch bonefish. And they do. Lots. So we have this unfortunate situation where there is still a reasonably healthy population of bonefish at Aitutaki but the locals are ruining the very best fly fishing areas by netting the very best fly fishing beaches and the best fly fishing flats. Not only does this destroy fish numbers but it makes the remaining bonefish as skittish as all hell. Many many people are commenting about how nervous the bonefish on Aitutaki are. My personal opinion is that this is because of constant harassment from nets. I can't see how an increase in the number of fly fishers quietly sneaking about in shallow water placing size 6 crazy charlies in front of bonefish noses is going to turn the whole bonefish population into a bunch of highly strung nervous fish. And unfortunately I don't see any chance for legislation that bans netting from those 'best' fly fishing waters. This is the islands where family connections are a whole lot more important than laws. Netting bans to keep fly fishing tourists happy would be just laughed at. The only hope I see is to increase the quantity of wet fish being landed on the island and hope that this creates a spillover effect where the locals get a plentiful supply of cheap fish to eat as a result. This is all about food on the table after all. Without something like this happening I fear that the bonefish fishery in Aitutaki is doomed. It is an expensive location. When fly fishers go there they want a good chance of catching bonefish every day. They don't want to go there and find that the locals have netted the best island beaches and flats in the week before. Fly fishing tourism and netting simply do not mix! |
Posted By: Steps
Date Posted: 26 Nov 2016 at 9:28am
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The trouble is the 'tourist dollar that the bone/ fly fishing etc brings in doesnt filter down into the actual people of the local communities. We see the same thing all around the world including NZ. Sure there is employment.. for a handful out of the community..min wage, which often is below living wage.. The profits are are usually sent off shore to parent companies in a manner to avoid local taxes, and therefore benefit local community projects/ services. One just has to look at the growth of holdings and profits of local indigenous trusts set up from the treaty of Waitangi settlements and then look at the employment/ poverty stats of the population those trusts and settlement where meant to benefit. No different to places like the Cooks. But blaming the locals is like blaming commercial fishing here working within the laws designed to protect those resources interests in NZ for our fisheries... the problem is the law Fix that you fix the plight of the bone fish |
Posted By: FishMan
Date Posted: 26 Nov 2016 at 10:06am
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Yes, but some operators have done very well out of the tourist bonefish fishery on Aitutaki. It also feeds massively into the local hotels, restaurants and accommodation houses, and these are all a big employer of locals. Most of the money in this case is benefitting the locals, but often that money is hard to see. Unfortunately, the islanders can see a few people doing well out of guiding so they get the feeling that the incoming money is not being spread through the whole local economy when in reality it is. It can be very hard for the locals on the street to sit back and look at the total picture. It is not easy for them to see how tourism bonefishing benefits everyone. They also don't realise the immediate impact their netting has. Asking the locals that are not bonefish guides to stop netting in order to enhance the overall tourism appeal of the island is therefore a very tough call. |
Posted By: Steps
Date Posted: 26 Nov 2016 at 10:32am
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Asking the locals that are not bonefish guides to stop netting in order
to enhance the overall tourism appeal of the island is therefore a very
tough call. exactly.. asking is not the soln...getting them to also have a share of the income.. a good reason not to net is. A law will maybe help but not stop the then poaching. |
Posted By: Capt Asparagus
Date Posted: 26 Nov 2016 at 10:49am
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Same in the Solomons guys. You can't stop people from trying to feed their families eh. The netting in the lagoon around the place I go really cheeses me off, but there is nothing anyone can do to stop it sadly. ------------- It is only my overwhelming natural humility that mars my perfection. Captain Asparagus, Superhero, Adventurer. |
Posted By: Metal Float
Date Posted: 26 Nov 2016 at 11:24am
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It always interests me when people talk about Aitutaki (I've never been) that they never talk about the lagoon's water quality and its effect on the fishery. Before the NZAID water and sanitation project started the water quality readings were shocking. The decline of water quality had been driven by poor systems in the resorts, piggery run-off and the lack of planning. I'd be interested to know if anyone on here considers these things when choosing a resort and if anyone knows if the water quality has been improved by the NZAID project (I'd be surprised - but I'm sure the spin will be positive).
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Posted By: FishMan
Date Posted: 26 Nov 2016 at 11:57am
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MF there is still large amounts of eutrophication going on in the lagoon. Some parts get lots of algae and can get a bit stinky during patches of low swell when they're not getting a good flushing. Millions of sea cucumbers in places that are loving the algae. I have been told that this is an improvement on what it was like in the past and that the main offender was run-off from the banana plantation. From what you're saying though I can see how sewage leaching could be a massive problem. The general depopulation of many of these islands will be improving that I hope. I wonder if the resorts have decent septic systems these days? Sad thing is that over-fishing will continue to have a far greater influence than water quality in the lagoon. I look at all that algae and wonder where are all the milkfish and mullet that could be feeding on it? |
Posted By: Metal Float
Date Posted: 26 Nov 2016 at 1:15pm
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I hope waste water and sanitation are improving. Working with the resorts and instituting stronger planning requirements was part of the project - so ... let's hope. The future for local cheap protein may lie in an effective local small-scale safe off-shore fishing fleet, and restricted commercial fishing zones. I know GEF and SPC are promoting this in the Pacific and Tonga for one is looking at adopting. Where I spend most of my time the lagoon quality is much worse than Aitutaki, and bonefish populations are small because of environmental damage and net/over fishn'. Very sad. I try to stay in the hotels with some degree of environmental protection and I make a point of not eating pork nor lagoon caught fish (incl. turtle for that matter) - this is all mostly symbolic though. 20km away on nearby islands the bonefish populations still seem good
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Posted By: FishMan
Date Posted: 26 Nov 2016 at 8:00pm
| Andrew, whereabouts is it that you're working? |
Posted By: FishMan
Date Posted: 28 Nov 2016 at 8:44am
Found a picture of the beach in question in the initial report. Imagine a boat load of netters descending on this place and taking out every fish that swims. There is an accommodation house in the palm trees behind. I'm sure it won't be getting much business with this netting going on! |
Posted By: Metal Float
Date Posted: 28 Nov 2016 at 9:41am
Kiribati at the moment but I do move around the Pacific a bit. A part from the main island of Tarawa, the fishn' here is exceptional. I haven't been to Kiritimati Island yet but understand from I-Kiribati friends that the fishn' there is declining (but still okay) resulting from the increasing population (doubled in the last 15yrs), netting and halving of the lagoon water quality
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FishMan wrote:Posted By: Silvio
Date Posted: 28 Nov 2016 at 4:00pm
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Aitutaki has been on my radar for quite some time. Recently I have spoken to a great many good anglers returning from there and was surprised how few bone fish they actually landed. The average cost per fish caught seems to be about $NZ 1000, just a wee but too much for my liking, even though it's not all about catching fish. (Yeah right, did I actually say that?) So the conclusion for me, keep on searching for greener pastures.
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Posted By: FISHBYFLY
Date Posted: 28 Nov 2016 at 7:02pm
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https://www.facebook.com/Aitutaki-Blue-Lagoon-Flyfish-45328337397/" rel="nofollow - https://www.facebook.com/Aitutaki-Blue-Lagoon-Flyfish-45328337397/ Click on link to read about some slaying it. its just one of those places. [I compare it to south island backcountry browns] Meaning, myself and others have been there. what we all have in common is that on our first trip, hardwork. come back again with more Knowledge and ideas about presentation, and ty more realistic patterns that look and behave as best ya can. result, way better results. Like all trophy potential locations, challenging but the results are so worth it. ------------- By Fly, Nothing Else,Just Fly |
Posted By: FishMan
Date Posted: 29 Nov 2016 at 6:26am
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Yep, Adam, I fully agree that an experienced bonefish fly fisher can still do well at Aitutaki. However, I am told that over half the fly fishers going to Aitutaki are there to catch their first bonefish. We need to tell these people that the prospect of them catching their first bonefish at Aitutaki has been made doubly or triply more difficult because of locals dragging nets in all the best spots. Secondly, from an experienced anglers point of view, you have to assess your fishing prospects on the basis of whether or not the netters have been to a particular spot before you. The netters have been seen in operation at One Foot Island for gods sake, and Akaiami, and some of those other lovely sheltered beaches with the big wall of coconut palms protecting you from the south-east trade winds. These are the very best spots destroyed by locals who want to put fish on the table and sell fish at the local market at a very cheap price. The damage it does to the Aitutaki economy is unbelievable. This Aitutaki netting is like letting poachers net the Major Jones Pool on the Tongariro on a regular basis. I am one experienced angler who will never be back to Aitutaki unless the netting problem is sorted out. I do not want to stand on any of those beaches wondering where the fish are and wondering if the netters have cleaned it all out in the days and weeks before. |
Posted By: Fraser Hocks
Date Posted: 29 Nov 2016 at 5:10pm
Butch is a bloody legend in my opinion. Id love to fish with him once again some day, but Im afraid I have to agree with Craig's sentiments. 
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Posted By: FISHBYFLY
Date Posted: 29 Nov 2016 at 7:36pm
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Yip I agree fully about the netters, But what can ya do Their town, Their rules. ------------- By Fly, Nothing Else,Just Fly |
Posted By: FishMan
Date Posted: 29 Nov 2016 at 9:14pm
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Vote with your feet. Aitutaki is a wonderful spot, but there are a lot of other places to see and fish out in the Pacific. I'm waiting for someone to get video of the netting happening and then post it on YouTube. The netting has been so blatant it will happen. When it does it will be a mortal blow for fly fishing tourism on the island and a severe blow for the Aitutaki economy in general. |
Posted By: WillP
Date Posted: 30 Nov 2016 at 8:40pm
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I feel positive for Aitutaki, after 10 trips there I cant say it is worse nor better but I do see the place getting more popular with fly fisherpeople and can only hope that demand for rich fishing grounds oustrips current trends with the netting, even if it is just reduced to the requirements of the current rules with netting and if these are adhered to it could be a healthy partnership betweem tourists and locals alike. It is a hard place to catch your first bone but the challenge is well rewarding and as fishbyfly says you learn you go back and you get better. I certainly am in for the long haul definetly voting with my feet 36 days to go:) |
Posted By: FishMan
Date Posted: 04 Dec 2016 at 9:31am
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Hope you have a good trip Will. If those blasted netters start hauling their bloody nets right in front of you or along any of those best beaches and flats (like they have done when several friends have been there) then please take some pics. I'd be keen to send photos like that to the Rarotonga Ministry of Tourism and Ministry of Fisheries and see what sort of reaction (or action?) results.
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Posted By: WillP
Date Posted: 09 Dec 2016 at 7:33pm
| http://www.cookislandsnews.com/national/local/item/62020-lagoon-work-to-cost-70-million" rel="nofollow - http://www.cookislandsnews.com/national/local/item/62020-lagoon-work-to-cost-70-million |
Posted By: DeVille Incarnate
Date Posted: 05 Jan 2017 at 8:21pm
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Maybe that's what it needs - a kick in the balls to make them see the result of their netting, to effect change, before it's too late for the fishery...? Then locals like Itu can explain the economics to the netters and it might just hit home. ------------- Approach with extreme caution - I NEVER look where my back cast is going.... |
Posted By: FishMan
Date Posted: 06 Jan 2017 at 9:14am
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Yeah, it's a difficult one. Especially when netting is seen as a 'traditional' way of putting food on the table. The biggest clash occurs because both netters and fly fishers want to use the sandy areas with no coral. The only way around the problem I see is in the development of a new source of eating fish for the island, probably from deepwater- nothing else is left. |
Posted By: Legacy
Date Posted: 06 Jan 2017 at 3:04pm
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I don't know Aitutaki at all but thinking about the 4 or 5 meals a week of fish that the Aitutakians eat ,has the population jumped on the island so that more fish is being netted ?
Could the families making money out of fly fishing/tourism perhaps help the families netting to get a small boat ( Rarotongan style )and encouarge them to get out and catch wahoo/ yellowfin etc OUTSIDE of the reef. A couple of decent yellowfin mahi mahi or wahoo, which would be a reasonable days catch ,would go a lot further than dozens of bonefish .
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Posted By: FishMan
Date Posted: 06 Jan 2017 at 3:52pm
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Yeah Nah. In the main tourist season every wahoo and yellowfin currently caught is quickly purchased by the restaurants and resorts on the island. There is often a shortage and local boats have been known to make 24 hour return trips to Manuae in order to hopefully load up on yellowfin and wahoo. This puts a high price on yellowfin and wahoo and makes the lagoon fish the staple of the townsfolk. Apart from a few goats, pigs and chickens, fish is the main protein available on the island. So there is a good demand at the local market for local fish. What is needed I think is a source of fish to ease the pressure off the local fish supply during peak tourist times. This would have to be deepwater dropline caught fish and there would need to be a chiller room facility from which to store and sell the fish from. I am unsure if chiller facilities currently exist on the island. Setting up chiller facilities would of course require significant investment funds from somewhere. As you can see, with the current tourism pressure on the pelagic fishery and the need for the locals to have a regular supply of affordable fish, there are no easy answers. |
Posted By: Legacy
Date Posted: 06 Jan 2017 at 6:39pm
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Thought that was too easy a solution . Thanks Craig for taking the time to explain . I think in Raro one of the perse seiner deals involved a certain amount of Albacore to be offloaded in Raro for local consumption ? Maybe a similar deal could be done for Aitutaki . Has the amount of netting increased ? Is it sustainable from a fish population point of view ? Has the population increased possibly to cope with tourism ? |
Posted By: FishMan
Date Posted: 07 Jan 2017 at 7:43am
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The population on Aitutaki- like most of the Cook Islands- has actually been decreasing. The cooks have direct entry to NZ (and therefore Australia) so constantly lose people. And overall, netting has probably decreased. Nobody knows really. No accurate records are kept. The fishing on Aitutaki has improved from what it was, but the netting that remains is shallow water drag netting and it is occurring on some of the best bonefish beaches and flats on the island. This puts it into direct conflict with fly fishers. This drag netting severely impacts on the results visiting fly fishers can expect from their fishing. It doing so it destroys any chance of the island reaching its full potential as a great fly fishing destination. I have seen and have heard of netting activity going on right under the noses of visiting fly fishers. Even on the sand bank directly in front of the resort. I know of fly fishers that refuse to return to Aitutaki because of this and I know I won't be either. I'm not going to stand on a sand flat and wonder whether someone has dragged a giant net across it the day before. I'm not going to spend $3000 to get to Aitutaki for a week on the off-chance that the netters have left a few fish for me. The thing is that Aitutaki could easily triple the number of fly fishers fishing the island with no real impact on the fishery at all. Imagine the economic benefits of that. At the moment this potential is being totally killed by a bunch of cowboys with a big tin boat and a very large net that want to flog fish off at the local market. |
Posted By: WillP
Date Posted: 15 Jan 2017 at 12:24pm
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my 11th trip to aitutaki and all is looking good. The more bonefisher people that go the more the the island can see how important it is to stop the netting. landed 11 bones and dropped 5. most in the 9 to 10 pound range. 8 off the kayak and 3 of the flats on foot. even got a couple on samade this time. Vote with your rod. Man I love that place. |
Posted By: FishMan
Date Posted: 15 Jan 2017 at 1:19pm
 Sounds good Will. That's an excellent average weight. January would be an interesting time of year to go.
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Posted By: FISHBYFLY
Date Posted: 15 Jan 2017 at 4:47pm
 Go Will!Looks like that fly patterns still got its Mojo.  ------------- By Fly, Nothing Else,Just Fly |
Posted By: WillP
Date Posted: 16 Jan 2017 at 4:53am
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smashing it m8. absolutely smashing it. |
Posted By: Legacy
Date Posted: 16 Jan 2017 at 8:25am
| Are the bonefish less line/fly shy because of FishMans boycott ? |
Posted By: Legacy
Date Posted: 16 Jan 2017 at 8:28am
| Sorry |
Posted By: FishMan
Date Posted: 16 Jan 2017 at 11:45am
Ha ha Legacy It's an easy boycott when its so hard at the moment to get the planets to align for an overseas fishing trip. But yeah... I bet the bonefish are still recovering after my last trip there when they encountered this bumbling white man and his water slapping cast  Looks like January could be the time to go fishing. Maybe less netting pressure because its not peak tourist season??
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Posted By: Legacy
Date Posted: 16 Jan 2017 at 11:55am
| we go to Rarotonga most Januarys and its the beginning of the cyclone season and the water is realy warm , a lot of the locals going home for Christmas so end of January can be cheap , think i saw a flight one way to Raro for $150 yesterday .Some beaautiful hot still days between monsoon like rain . |
Posted By: WillP
Date Posted: 21 Jan 2017 at 6:18pm
| https://www.facebook.com/MinistryofMarine/posts/1087030231406364" rel="nofollow - https://www.facebook.com/MinistryofMarine/posts/1087030231406364 |
Posted By: WillP
Date Posted: 24 May 2025 at 8:19am
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNQdWva-tWY" rel="nofollow - Bad Ass Bones 16 see end of the video this was filmed 8 years after this post started |