The Cook Islands in the South Pacific stretch from Samoa to the West and French Polynesia to the east. The major income earners for the Cook Islands are tourism, black pearls, fishing, agriculture and offshore banking. The Environment Act 2003 provides national legislation for the protection, conservation and management of the environment in a sustainable manner. currently applies to Rarotonga, Aitutaki and Atiu. For islands not covered
by the Act, the island council is the main body with the authority to enact protected areas (PA) under the Local Body Act. Of these, only Rakahanga and Pukapuka have developed specific by-laws to establish and manage ra’ui, though there are intentions to do so for other islands. A ra’ui was imposed by the chief of the tribe or the head of the landowning lineage to control the use of resources or facilities. This paper deals with the evolution and current status of ra’ui.