New Food Fish In

Tilapia Are Tasty!

Cook Island

JUST eleven months after the fir -25 pairs of Tilapia fish were re leased in a pond up the Tuku vaine valley, Rarotonga, Adminli tration officials and members « the Island Council met in May t assess the worth of this allege "wonder fish” as an item of diet.

They were not disappointed.

According to fishery experts, or pair of these prolific fish can, unde ideal circumstances, produce 10,0 C offspring in a year.

There may not yet be 25,0 C Tilapia in the Takuvaine pond er there may be more. Certainl the pond contains a very larg number of fish ranging from abou 9 inches downwards to possibly quarter inch in length.

Fires were burning in the viciniti of the pond when the Island’s lead ers assembled. A powerful pumi soon discharged most of the water and the fish were seen to be takini refuge in petrol drums which ha>. been set in the bottom of the pone Attendants then moved in wit! nets and, within minutes, about 5* of the largest fish were landed gutted, and sizzling in large pant of fat, while the expectant am hopeful multitude looked on.

Even the most optimistic expected the fish to have that earthy, eel: flavour usually associated with pom fish. South Pacific Commission”

Fishery Officer. Mr. H. Van Pol who arranged the transfer of thj fish from Fiji last year, had not led anyone to believe that Tilapis were a particularly tasty fish.

When the cooks declared thenu selves satisfied, the first sputtering pan was brought to Makea Nur Teremoana Ariki, and she was pre; sented with the first fruits of thu pond. Quickly she served the othei; fish, with portions of breadfruit, on taro leaves, to the expectant officials The verdict was immediate ano unanimous—delicious!

With word abroad that Tilapis are as tasty as most sea-fish, the primary object now appears to be< to encourage the establishment o:< many more ponds before the pre-; sent ones are stripped of their pro-i duce.

Already, Rarotonga has a numbei; of public and private ponds. There are others on Mauke, Atiu, Raka hanga and Aitutaki, and one will soon be established at Manihikii