Rejuvenating The Coo[?]

Is. Pearling Industry

Mr. Tihau Napara. Island)

Councillor for Manihiki, whri attended the Royal Visit tt New Zealand as representative foo the Cook Islands Northern Groufli said that the marked decline ii MOP shell output from ManihiMi for the year ending last March— as shown in the latest Cook Islandb annual report—was entirely due tJ a year of unfavourable weather foo diving. Constant winds and rougl? water greatly interfered with operae tions.

Commenting on exploratory diw ing that was carried out as Suwarrow last year by Manihiki divers, Mr. Napara said he is conr vinced that there is good shell ill that lagoon and that further, wel; supervised work should be donn there. He believes that the diverse without serious supervision, madb little attempt to explore the lagooic thoroughly. What shell they goo was of a good and heavy grade anox gave every indication that them must be plenty more of it there.

Referring to attempts to propa-r gate MOP shell in other lagoonsx Mr. Napara said that a trial haox been made in transferring shell fronn Manihiki to nearby Rakahanga, ano also to Pukapuka, but not much: care had been taken.

He feels that the Administrationc could make some serious efforts ini this direction by properly equipping! a vessel with suitable circulating-? water tanks in which to transfers the pearlshell. It would be even*: better to fit out a vessel to transfeis the much better quality Torress Strait shell from that region to ther Cooks, as was done by Levens Brothers 50 years ago.

Mr. Napara considers that ther present system of licensing machine diving operations should be altered.b The few licenses available should}.! be issued on a rotational systemm and not granted to the same holders-: year after year. Financial assist-r ance should be given to othens syndicates of divers to allow themm to purchase diving equipment.