Chapter I Intro & Objectives - SPREP

PHOENIX ISLANDS PROTECTED AREA MANAGEMENT PLAN
Chapter III. Background, 5. Fisheries Resources
Draft 1 March 2007
ENDERBURY
Maude (1937) noted that fish were plentiful on Enderbury.
In 1951, field studies were completed to examine fish poisoning in the Phoenix Islands
(Halstead and Bunker 1954). Fish collections were made on Abariringa (Canton), Enderbury,
Orona (Hull), Rawaki (Phoenix), and Manra (Sydney). A total of 93 species were tested.
Toxicity was indicated for 27 species, or 29 percent. There was evidence that species may be
poisonous at one site, but not in another.
A list of fish found to be toxic from Abariringa (Canton), Enderbury, Orona (Hull), and
Manra (Sydney) (Halstead and Bunker 1954) is provided in Table III-5.19 above.
Regarding trochus introductions to the Phoenix Islands (see Gillett 1986, Gillett 1993 and
2002), Gillett (1993 and 2002) noted that this may have been a mix up of Enderbury in the
Phoenix Islands with Enderby in Pulawat, Truk. According to Eldredge (1994), the arrow
pointing to the Phoenix Islands (specificially Enderbury) in Bour et al (1982) that indicated
trochus introductions there was not in Bour (1990).
All common fish species were edible (Hydrographic Office 1940).
In 1995, trial rod fishing resulted in a CPUE of 10.6 kg/hour per person (Government of
Kiribati 1995). Fish caught included: Caranx melampygus (rereba), Caranx ignobilis (urua),
and Lutjanus bohar (ingo).
MANRA (SYDNEY)
Ellis (1937) reported that the fish on Manra (Sydney) were poisonous.
Maude (1937) reported that there were no fish in Manra’s (Sydney’s) lagoon. Many fish
species from the reef were said to be poisonous.
There were many species of fish on Manra (Sydney) (Hydrographic Office 1940). Most were
not poisonous.
Fish from Manra (Sydney) had the reputation of being poisonous (Bryan 1941 and 1942).
Clune (1951) reported fish from one side of Manra (Sydney) were poisonous. They were
fatal to infants, but did not adversely affect adults.
Gilbertese on Manra (Sydney) used Morinda citrifolia (noni) to treat fish poisoning (Groves
1951; see also Wiens 1962).
Turbott (1954) reported that there were no fish in Manra’s lagoon as it was too salty. In
addition, reef fish were for the most part poisonous except at places furthest from the settled
areas.
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