Marine conservation areas in the Cook Islands, called ra'ui, are being extended around the lagoon of the main island, Rarotonga.
Ra'ui are a traditional conservation concept, involving a ban on fishing enforced by community leaders.
A number of new ra'ui signs, paid for under the New Zealand aid programme, have been installed in the Muri beach area, which is a popular tourist area.
This extended ra'ui at Muri will be in effect for a further nine years.
Muri's marine environment has been identified as a conservation priority after confirmation by the Ministry of Marine Resources that shellfish populations are declining.
