On a remote Pacific atoll, science has blended with tradition
to save a species of fish and the islanders that thrive on it.
NATALIE PARLETTAreports.
WITHIN THE DAZZLINGturquoise waters of
an atoll called Anaa in the South Pacific swims the
roundjaw bonefish (Albula glossodonta), a species that
thrives in the coral-fringed lagoon’s shallow waters.
But like many fish populations globally, its numbers
are dwindling, threatening the island’s economy
and food security. Unlike many regions around the
world, a unique blend of science, children’s voices,
community cohesion and a return to tradition has set
the bonefish on a sustainable trajectory.
It all started with a dynamic Tahitian, Hinano
Bagnis. Passionate about helping residents of the
surrounding islands, Bagnis studied law, but her
interests led to a role as the executive director of an
NGO helping island communities. She then became
frustrated with ventures that failed to address the
complex environmental and economic challenges
faced by these communities, and wanted to help
them become more self-sufficient and manage their
resources more sustainably.
She had befriended Sir Douglas Myers, a multi-
millionaire who had fly-fished the atoll Teti’aroa with
a company run by Mathew McHugh. Myers agreed
that something could and should be done, saying,
“Okay, pick an island and redefine your project”.
So, with funding from Myers, the Anaa Atoll
Project was born in 2016. Nestled in the Tuamotuarchipelago, 350 kilometres west of Tahiti, 38 square
kilometre Anaa was chosen by Bagnis and McHugh as
a pilot site because of its declining population of about
500 people with limited education and employment
prospects, which also held promise for fly-fishing
tourism. In 2018 they created the Island Initiative
charity to generate more funds, and identified the
island’s popular bonefish as a potential economic
driver for other income sources for residents, such as
accommodation and locally made souvenirs.
Known to locals as Kiokio, Anaa’s bonefish
appears to fly across the island’s lagoons, its
shimmering silvery skin tinged with blues and
greens. A member of the ray-finned Albulidae family,
its speed, eagerness to feed and visibility make it a
popular game fish in the warm shallow waters of many
tropical regions, including Florida, the Caribbean,
Seychelles and French Polynesia.
In Anaa, the locals rely onA. glossodontafor trade- and it’s also one of their favourite food staples. This
is unusual, because, well, it’s full of bones. But the fish
tastes better at Anaa.
“It’s one of the few islands where bonefish is a big
resource as far as eating it,” says marine biologist Alex
Filous from the University of Massachusetts Amherst
in the US, “but here it’s considered like the best eating
fish on the island – and it is really good.”
Hook, Line
& Thinker
82 – COSMOS Issue 86
SUSTAINABILITY BIOLOGY