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.
Penrhyn's deputy mayor, Jacob Ivilangi Photo: RNZI / Mary Baines
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 overfarming, but pearls are starting to be found in the lagoon once again and will be farmed within the next two years.
"The island is coming better, better, the living is better now. So they are thinking, those who went to Australia, New Zealand, they are thinking to come back home today, I am sure."
The now disused pearl farming equipment on Penrhyn, in the northern Cook Islands. Photo: RNZI / Mary Baines
Some of the pearl farming equipment on Penrhyn, in the northern Cook Islands. Photo: RNZI / Mary Baines
