Terrestrial Protected Areas

There are 14 terrestrial PAs, which total at least 1407.2 hectares (five PAs are uncalculated), or about six per cent of the Cook Islands’ total 240 km2 land mass. Terrestrial PA are concentrated in a few locations. Three of the 15 islands in Cook Islands are wildlife reserves (Suwarrow, Takutea and Manuae), almost 40% of the terrestrial PAs are represented by four motu on Pukapuka, and three of Rarotonga’s four PAs make up 36% of total terrestrial PAs. The PAs include private nature reserves, conservation areas, entire island and motu PAs (Suwarrow Island and Pukapuka’s motu), a wildlife sanctuary (Takutea Wildlife Sanctuary), National Parks and Reserves, and community managed areas.

The 2011 report by Cook Islands to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was used to identify the country’s terrestrial protected areas summarised in this dataset.