Francis Sanford's rabbit out

of a hat is a fish farm

From HENR Y LOMBARD in Papeete

Mr Francis Sanford, Vice-Presi dent and Acting Premier of the new Government Council of Autonomous French Polynesia (PIM, September, p 18), has lost no time pulling a political rabbit out of the hat.

Within a few days of taking office in late- July he flew by private aircraft to Fakarava, largest atoll in the Tuamotu archipelago. His com panion was a distinguished guest from the northern part of the United Kingdom.

Back in Papeete, he told the first full session of the Government Council that 2 billion Pacific francs (SUS 20 million) would be spent on developing a 100-square kilometre fish farm in the inner lagoon of this extremely large atoll.

It seems that the announcement came as a surprise to the former governor, who was unaware that this investment scheme had been matur ing for the previous eight months. It had been engineered, it was learned, by Mr Alec Ata, the able former director of the government tourist office and now a member of the

Government Council.

More information on this project, and perhaps on other investment schemes as well, may be expected It had been quite evident for some time that raising fish was econom ically more logical than mere fish ing in the lagoons or on the high seas.

The prevailing official view up to now has been that French Polynesia had no assets to fall back on, if and when the generous dole from France was cut off. Many people are glad to see this myth of Polynesia’s lack of resources beginning to crumble.

But the inner lagoons of many atolls, as well as the outer lagoons,

represent relatively-unlimited

spaces, the only problems being food and fences.

The factors preventing fish breeding in these ideally-suited marine ponds have been lack of men, lack of a code of ownership (or leasing) of lagoon sections, and lack of funds and means of transport.

It is to be hoped that this first ven ture will encourage atoll land owners to come back to their homes.