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The Material Culture of the Cook Islands (Aitutaki)

Set Nets

page 294

Set Nets.

Tuturua net. The tuturua is about 7 to 8 feet long, and 6 to 7 feet in depth. It is attached to two poles, hence the name tuturua. A rope runs along the upper and lower borders, but there are no floats or weights, Fig. 255.

It is used in connection with the ta uoa method already mentioned. The uoa is seen in shoals about the white sandy shoals known as kena, near the smaller islands in the lagoon.

The net is carried. When a shoal of fish is seen, the two poles are driven into the sand in an appropriate place. Side lines of cocoanut leaves are run out as a race. The fish are driven into the net, which has a considerable bag.

The correct time to use the net is at full tide. Kaha, kanae, and vete are caught, besides the uoa. All these fish go in shoals. The rakoa and paoa are also caught at medium tides.

The maito collect in shoals in February. After thunder at night, they come in near the beaches. The shoals, called tukia, are driven into the tuturua net, which does not need to wait for full tide.

The ancestor Honokura used the following saying to denote number—

Tini, tini, mano, mano,
Haere te ika i te aria
E maito.

Numbers, numbers, thousands, thousands,
The fish that travels over the shallows
Is the maito.

Tutoko. The tutoko is a process whereby a length of an ordinary seine net is used to block the opening of the Arani fish weir after the fish have entered. (See Fish Weirs.)