29/08/2026
BORN TO BONEFISH- ITU DAVEY
It is a business where bookings stretch years ahead, the lagoon is the everyday office, and every fish caught is returned to the water within seconds.
For Aitutakiās Itu Davey, catch-and-release fly fishing has transformed a family tradition away from net fishing into a growing tourism ventureāand a way to protect the islandās renowned bonefish for future generations.
Known locally as 'kiokio', bonefish have become the focus of Daveyās work as a fishing guide. A former Ministry of Marine Resources data officer in Aitutaki, he has built an impressive profile in flyfish angling, and inspired several fishing videos produced after the 2011 documentary Ituās Bones. A nine-minute version of the 90-minute film is available on YouTube.
Davey, his brothers and extended family come from a long line of net fishers. His father and grandfather taught the family to fish in the lagoon, but the collapse of pÄua shellfish stocks in the mid-1980s became a warning sign for his father. He shared his fears with his sons that continued net fishing could lead to a similar decline in Aitutakiās lagoon fish stocks.
Davey says that knowledge helped his decision to eventually give up nets after being offered fly-fishing training in 2008, and kick starting his journey a few years after that. He has not looked back.
āThe first fishing my father taught me was with the net. The first fishing I taught my kids was bonefishing,ā he says.
For Davey, the shift towards sustainable fishing has hooked in his family as well. His brothers have since joined the family bonefishing venture, and their lagoon charters are now booked through to 2028 as overseas anglers travel to Aitutaki for the catch, photograph and release experience.
He has lost count of the number of charters he has led, but says the most rewarding moments are the same -- the sheer joy of anglers holding their catch for a photograph, and the release for each bonefish safely back into the lagoon.
As a recipient of the latest round of Fisheries Development Grants, Davey says the funding will be used to purchase equipment. It is particularly timely as rising fuel costs affect businesses across the Cook Islands, with petrol prices in the Pa Enua among the highest in the region.
Davey and his brothers were also among those who attended this monthās public consultation on the Aitutaki Lagoon Management Plan. He strongly supports the plan, which builds on customary raāui conservation practices and seeks to strengthen community stewardship, lagoon governance and fisheries protection.
āFor the lagoon, it is the same thing we learnt for the bonefish,ā he said,āMy father said it was important to look after the spawning and nursery areasāwhen they thrive, everything else will followā. āENDS/Image-MMRmedia
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