Takutea is an uninhabited 297-acre island located nine miles northwest of Atiu in the Cook Islands. The people of Atiu Island own Takutea, which is home to many endemic and threatened bird species.
Seacology, working with the Atiu Island Trust, is funding the construction of housing on Atiu for the community’s elderly residents. In exchange, Atiu islanders will declare Takutea Island a wildlife sanctuary for 20 years. The community has also committed to creating a marine conservation area extending five miles out from Takutea’s shore. This will minimize intrusion by outside fishing vessels and unauthorized landings on the island.