14 Oct 2015

People starting to return to northern Cooks - deputy mayor

From Pacific Waves, 4:03 pm on 14 October 2015

The deputy mayor of the remote Cook Islands atoll of Penrhyn says people are starting to return to the island as plans to restart pearl farming and improved infrastructure means life is getting better there.

Transcript

Depopulation has been cited as a major concern for the Cooks outer islands, with the census showing the number of Penrhyn residents dropped from 351 in 2001 to 213 in 2011.

But Jacob Ivilangi says the number of people on the island is now about 300, and is optimistic that number will increase as opportunities for workers grow.

He says the lucrative pearl industry collapsed in the early 2000s due to over farming, but pearls are starting to be found in the lagoon once again and will be farmed within the next two years.

That was the deputy mayor of Penrhyn in the Cook Islands, Jacob Ivilangi, speaking to Mary Baines.

JACOB IVILANGI: The people on Penrhyn is 300 and something, including kids. And the living over here in Penrhyn is good, very good now. But on the island now, as I said, there are less workers. I think not more workers on the island being paid by the government. So we need more workers who will work on Penrhyn so that they get money.

MARY BAINES: So what is the main source of income out here? Because the pearl industry was a big industry, now what's happened?

JI: In the year 1993 they started to see the pearl on Penrhyn. Three or five years later, it is all gone, no more people working on the farm. No more farming. Now the people are diving for pearls (again) for two years. So the Island Council was thinking about this and said, stop that for two years to make it more in the sea.

MB: So you think in two years it will be ready to harvest and get money from it?

JI: Yeah, in two years the people are going to harvest the pipi for the pearl. The buyer from the outside will come and buy the pearl.

MB: So do you think depopulation is a big issue? People who live here in wanting to move to Rarotonga or New Zealand, are people leaving a lot?

JI: That is why the people are going out. Going to work for money in New Zealand or Australia. But now the island is coming better, the living is better now. So they are thinking, those who went to Australia and New Zealand, they are thinking to come back home. Today, I am sure. Because some of them they are (already) coming back, yeah.

That was the deputy mayor of Penrhyn in the Cook Islands, Jacob Ivilangi, speaking to Mary Baines.