Arutua is an atoll in the Tuamotus archipelago, largely focused on pearl farming, copra cultivation and fishing. With 484 km2 of lagoon, it is one of the largest producers of lagoon fish in French Polynesia. Each year, around 60 tons of fresh fish are shipped to the Tahiti. The fish parks, equipped enclosures that trap live fish, provide the bulk of the catches.

The 2020 Covid-19 pandemy significantly slowed the pearl economy. It has led part of the population to turn to fishing for subsistence or commercialization, thus putting additional pressure on lagoon resources.

It is also in 2020 that a Regulated Fishing Zone has been created on the southern part of the maritime area of ​​the island of Arutua. It is made up of two sub zones. In one, all fishing is prohibited; in the other, only angling and daytime gun fishing are permitted. These new regulations inaugurate the establishment of a management committee.

In this context, the Rahui Forum and Resource Center’s team acts to support implementation of tools for fishers and the management committee, which will allow adaptive management of the area and the whole maritime space.