CUSTOMARY LAND USE: GARDENS

'Village boundaries can be marked in a number of ways; by trees, ridge lines, special stones or rocks, and by tracks. They are typically 9 kilometres from the village. Most villages claimed areas of around 57 square kilometers and hunting areas, which could be shared with other villages, of around 60 square kilometres.

Most of the land cleared for gardens has secondary growth rather than primary forest on it. Typically, one-quarter of the gardening land is cleared from primary forest. Traditional garden areas are cultivated for around 9 months before being left fallow. The fallow period is around four years when the land will be cleared and replanted.

Each household usually has four garden plots (average size = 328 square metres) or approximately 0.12 hectares under cultivation. The gardens provide a high proportion of the villages’ subsistence food and are cash crops as well. Most gardens are within 2 kilometres of the village but some around the lake edge are much further away (maximum distance of 20 kilometres). The main crops are root vegetables such as kumara (introduced after 1939), taro and pana. Slippery cabbage and pawpaw are also grown. Most village produce coconuts for sale.

Most villages rely on government help and shop foods such as rice when garden food is in short supply, as after a cyclone. The most common emergency foods are wild fruits, kakake (swamp taro), wild yams, coconuts and fish. Pandanus fruit, cycad seeds, coconut crab and birds are also taken but less frequently.

WILD FOOD

Up to thirteen species of birds are taken regularly for food. Other animals taken occasionally for food are coconut crab, flying-fox, and to a lesser degree, pig, goat, other land crabs, tree borer grubs and a species of worm.

All villages harvest marine animals including trochus, beche de mer, clams, turtle and shark. A smaller number of villages take crayfish, dolphin and octopus and a species of seaweed. About 12 species of reef fish are taken but in East Rennell, fewer reef fish species were eaten. Here, fish is a regular part of the diet but it is mostly Tilapia mozambica harvested from the lake. The government introduced this species to the lake around 1957 as an additional protein source for the villagers. Since 1990, this rich fishery appears to have declined, probably due to overfishing after fishermen switched to using nets. There are recent reports that catch numbers and fish size is slowly improving.

Most villages use a range of wild yams, taro and pana from the forest as well as roots, ferns, nuts and fruits. There are names for seven varieties of roots, five plants loosely described as “cabbage” and 14 fruits. The roots and fruits are available seasonally.

WATER RESOURCES:

Rennell is unusual in the Solomons as it does not have any rivers or streams. The brackish water of Lake Tegano is used for bathing, laundry and cooking.

Drinking water traditionally came from caves, springs and rock pools. All of the villages now have some rainwater tanks but these often run out in the dry season. Some villages also had wells, water holes and springs, which were constant throughout the year. Green coconuts are commonly used for drinking, especially when travelling.

FOREST USE:

There has been no commercial logging on Rennell but local people have been using portable mills to produce timber for local use. Most villages have an average of two chainsaws. There are no fixed sawmills and three villages make charcoal. A number of the villages cut timber for sale but this is done on an “as needed” basis.

The forest is a storehouse for the villages. It provides thatch for roofing, flooring materials, structural timber, poles and posts, ropes and cane, firewood, food, medicines, bark for tapa cloth, canoe wood, carving wood and materials for tools, fishing and crafts. Carving wood and game were the least available forest resources.

Flooring, thatching and most of the building materials (except for structural timber), as well as foods are less abundant now than in the past. This may be partly due to cyclone damage or it could reflect a longer-term trend. Those resources remaining after the cyclone are under increased pressure.

Orchids, butterflies, small animals and reptiles are occasionally taken from the forest and sold. More commonly, coconut crabs are harvested as well as coral and shells. There are no reports of live birds being sold.

EMPLOYMENT:

There are almost no opportunities for waged work on Rennell. Development possibilities are limited due to the island’s relative isolation and inaccessibility from the sea, which creates problems for exports. However, some resource owners on Rennell have expressed interest in logging if they had control. The potential effects of widespread loss of forest was a concern to many villagers. They felt that environmental problems would be severe, particularly the loss of wildlife and bush materials on which they depend. They knew that gardening would become more difficult because the land would be spoiled by soil erosion and fertility would decline, and also that their water supplies would be disrupted and polluted.

Sustainable small scale logging on East Rennell is possible and will generate some employment from furniture making for local needs and to supply structural timber. A few resource owners were interested in exporting timber from their land but were discouraged when the difficulties of access and transport were explained.

The possibility of mining bauxite from West Rennell was investigated from 1969 until 1977 when mining talks were completed. The people decided not to accept the payment and compensation package that was proposed and for the international company concerned, the economic situation was not viable. The environmental and social impacts of this development would have been considerable. In mid 1969, when prospecting began, road-making machinery and equipment arrived on the island. A road up the steep cliffs at Lavagu was blasted and it was continued north to the proposed airstrip at Tigoa. Solair was the first company to test the airstrip a few months later.

The road was continued from Lavagu to the lake with assistance from the European Union. This was completed in 1995 but unfortunately, the road stops at the northern tip of the lake and so does not service three of the four lakeside villages. At present, the people of East Rennell travel between Tigoa and the lake on a trailer that is towed by a tractor. Land transport in rennell has been improved significantly in the last years. Right now in rennell, there are a number gorvement and privately own 4wheel drive and 3 tone trucks serving the Island.

SMALL BUSINESSES:

On East Rennell there is at least one small local store in each village and at some villages there is petrol or kerosene for sale. Some local people have bee hives and there is potential for a growing honey business as the honey produced is of very high quality. The local people are interested in developing more cash cropping but the problems of limited gardening land and lack of transport will need to be addressed. The men produce carvings and the women weave very fine bags and mats from Pandanus. One village near East Rennell had an agency for buying beche de mer and there are two small-scale tourism lodges at Lake Tegano. There are at least 6 registered eco-lodges and home stay accomodations in east Rennell as of 2009. Nature tourism is seen as a potential earner for East Rennell and there are several small-scale lodges under construction around the lake and at Tigoa, West Rennell near the airfield. Tigoa will also be the administrative centre for Rennell and Bellona when the Provincial Government moves there from Honiara (planned for 1997).

RECREATION AND TOURISM:

There are opportunities for bird-watchers, botanists, photographers, people who like to visit isolated areas or view World War II relics. The outstanding natural beauty of the lake and island, snorkeling, bush walks, cultural activities, seeing village life, and trips by canoe at sea and on the lake, are only a few of the attractions available.

The people are interesting having had relatively recent contact with European Missionaries (late 1930’s) and the opening up of East Rennell with the road going through to the lake end in 1995. The society is in transition from being self-sufficient in the past, to the present situation where self-sufficient in the past, to the present situation where self-sufficiency, bartering and cash economy are presently, all in use. Although much of the Rennellese culture has been lost, the old people still produce fine weaving, coconut fibre rope and traditional canoes. In all the villages, it is common to see women cooking parcels of food in ground ovens (umu).' Source; Nomination of EAST RENNELL, SOLOMON ISLANDS by the Government of the Solomon Islands for Inclusion in the World Heritage List Natural Sites.