ANCORS Graduates

Lara Manarangi-Trott

Lara Manarangi-Trott Bachelor of Science: Biological Environments (Marine) (Hons 1) (University of New South Wales) Doctor of Philosophy (University of Wollongong)

Kia Orana. Lara Manarangi-Trott came originally from the Cook Islands (South Pacific) and began her Doctor of Philosophy in Law with the Center for Maritime Policy in February 2002. The provisional title of her thesis is: "Fisheries Data and Western Central Pacific Tuna Fisheries Management: the interfaces of science, law and policy".

Lara has a background in environmental science, fisheries science and marine biology. Her Honours project was titled 'Maito (Ctenochaetus striatus): its age and growth characteristics and the effects of fishing pressure, in Rarotonga Cook Islands', and was supervised by Dr Iain Suthers from the University of New South Wales and Mr Ian Bertram from the Ministry of Marine Resources. On completion of her degree she worked in the Cook Islands for a year as a senior fisheries research officer with the Ministry of Marine Resources. The Ministry of Marine Resources is responsible for the sustainable development of the Cook Islands marine resources.

Lara is interested in the South Pacific region primarily because it is her home. She is interested in fisheries management in the region because of her background and because she recognises the significance of marine resources to South Pacific island
countries.

Her interests are broad ranging: including the whole process of fisheries management from the collection of catch and effort data and other scientific research, to the handling and analysis of that data, to the reporting of findings, to the decisions made on this data. The use of international and regional legal instruments in fisheries management is also of interest and is a useful management tool particularly in the South Pacific region. Finally she has a personal love of the sea; loves seafood, used to sail competitively, and is a keen scuba diver, likes snorkelling and enjoys surfing waves.