Climate Change Resilience
5 July 2013, Nadi, Fiji - A Cook Islands researcher has linked ciguatera fish poisoning to periods of cyclones in the Pacific Island nation. Dr Teina Rongo was in Nadi for the Pacific Climate Change Roundtable (PCCR) to share his findings on the impact of climate change on health.
"In Cook Islands, during the El Nino years, there was an increase in cases of ciguatera poisoning. During this time, the cyclone would disturb the reef, opening up space on the reef for these microscopic algae that produce the toxins to colonise.
"Because these organisms are opportunistic, they only settle where there is room for them. Every time there is a cyclone, the number of ciguatera poisoning goes up.
However, during the La Nina period, where there are fewer cyclones, the risks for fish poisoning also goes down.
"It's not a seasonal thing. A lot of researches have tried to determine whether ciguatera is seasonal but my research has found that it is not. It's really when a reef is disturbed from cyclone that fish poisoning happens.
As a result, 71 percent of the population has excluded fish from their diet, particularly reef fish.
"We have seen an increase consumption of pelagic fish. Since the pelagic species are expensive, people from the lower income bracket of the population are not able to afford the pelagic fish.
Most of the serious cases are reported from the two most populous islands of Rarotonga and Aitutaki.
"The other islands have poisoning but because the reporting is poor, only 20 percent of the cases are reported to health officials.
Dr Rongo also related fish poisoning to depopulation of Cook Islands.
"In 2009, 18 percent of those that left the country to Australia and New Zealand did so in part to fish poisoning.
"During that time, a large number of people were migrating. It was largely due to financial crisis that the country was going through but if you look at the people that moved away, particularly from the lower bracket of the population, this was the group of people that relied heavily on marine resources to supplement their diet.
At the same, Dr Rongo's study showed a shift away from seafood diet generally in Cook Islands.
"Prior to the fish poisoning there was a lot of seafood on the diet of residences but when ciguatera was at its height, you can see the shift from seafood. Some people don't even touch fish anymore, said Dr Rongo.
Another interesting theory from his research was the link between fish poisoning to the great migration of Cook Islands forefathers 700-1000 years ago.
"The great voyaging that ended up colonising New Zealand, Hawaii and Rapa Nui came from theories which ranged from warfare, resource exploitation, advance in canoe technology and climate change. But none examined factors that may have affected the main source of protein, which is fish.
"I also looked into archaeological evidence and found indications of fish poisoning happening during that time. If you take away fish from their diet, there is nothing else.
During that time they were skilled at traditional navigation and voyaging. It was easy for them to pick up and go. That is what I proposed may have happened.
Despite the severe cases of ciguatera, Dr Rongo's research has found that people still practiced subsistence fishing.
"In Cook Islands, during the El Nino years, there was an increase in cases of ciguatera poisoning. During this time, the cyclone would disturb the reef, opening up space on the reef for these microscopic algae that produce the toxins to colonise.
"Because these organisms are opportunistic, they only settle where there is room for them. Every time there is a cyclone, the number of ciguatera poisoning goes up.
However, during the La Nina period, where there are fewer cyclones, the risks for fish poisoning also goes down.
"It's not a seasonal thing. A lot of researches have tried to determine whether ciguatera is seasonal but my research has found that it is not. It's really when a reef is disturbed from cyclone that fish poisoning happens.
As a result, 71 percent of the population has excluded fish from their diet, particularly reef fish.
"We have seen an increase consumption of pelagic fish. Since the pelagic species are expensive, people from the lower income bracket of the population are not able to afford the pelagic fish.
Most of the serious cases are reported from the two most populous islands of Rarotonga and Aitutaki.
"The other islands have poisoning but because the reporting is poor, only 20 percent of the cases are reported to health officials.
Dr Rongo also related fish poisoning to depopulation of Cook Islands.
"In 2009, 18 percent of those that left the country to Australia and New Zealand did so in part to fish poisoning.
"During that time, a large number of people were migrating. It was largely due to financial crisis that the country was going through but if you look at the people that moved away, particularly from the lower bracket of the population, this was the group of people that relied heavily on marine resources to supplement their diet.
At the same, Dr Rongo's study showed a shift away from seafood diet generally in Cook Islands.
"Prior to the fish poisoning there was a lot of seafood on the diet of residences but when ciguatera was at its height, you can see the shift from seafood. Some people don't even touch fish anymore, said Dr Rongo.
Another interesting theory from his research was the link between fish poisoning to the great migration of Cook Islands forefathers 700-1000 years ago.
"The great voyaging that ended up colonising New Zealand, Hawaii and Rapa Nui came from theories which ranged from warfare, resource exploitation, advance in canoe technology and climate change. But none examined factors that may have affected the main source of protein, which is fish.
"I also looked into archaeological evidence and found indications of fish poisoning happening during that time. If you take away fish from their diet, there is nothing else.
During that time they were skilled at traditional navigation and voyaging. It was easy for them to pick up and go. That is what I proposed may have happened.
Despite the severe cases of ciguatera, Dr Rongo's research has found that people still practiced subsistence fishing.