Stone giants of Rapa Nui threatened by visitors

Rapa Nui's distinctive moai are imposing but the soft stone is easily damaged. Picture / Angela Gregory

The people of Rapa Nui (Easter Island) risk losing their native language, valuable artefacts and the integrity of their outstanding stone sculptures, say New Zealand experts who recently visited the world's most isolated populated island.

The delegation, headed by Foreign Affairs Minister Phil Goff, included experts in conservation and environment issues.

Since 1935 about 40 per cent of the 171sq km island has been set aside as a national park, and in 1995 it was recognised as a World Heritage site, the only one in Chile and one of just three in the Pacific, excluding Australia and New Zealand.

The enormous stone statues of Rapa Nui have captured the imagination of visitors to the south-east Pacific island, 3700km off the coast of Chile, for nearly three hundred years.

Called moai, they range up to 10m high, some weighing 70 tonnes, and were almost all carved at the inland Rano Raraku quarry.

How they were transported to coastal sites as far as 25km away remains the subject of conjecture.

Made from soft volcanic rock, the moai are surprisingly fragile, despite their imposing presence, and not immune to man or nature.

In 1960 a tsunami bowled over 15 moai at Tongariki, the largest ahu (shrine) on the island.

Now tourism is adding pressure, with some visitors inscribing graffiti on the statues.

"The stone is very fragile and is being damaged," said Susana Nahoe, of Rapa Nui's National Tourism Service. "They come and write on the statues or hug them for their mana."

Last year the island had 21,000 visitors, mainly from Chile and the United States.

Mrs Nahoe said the aim was to cap tourist numbers at about 35,000 a year.

"It puts pressure on archaeological sites if there are too many."

The risk of theft of smaller artefacts is another problem.

The Chilean ambassador to New Zealand had expressed interest in whether Rapa Nui could borrow artefacts from the Canterbury museum but New Zealand delegation member Dr Claudia Orange, of Te Papa, found the island's museum had inadequate climate control and security.

"There is relative safety [of the artefacts] with the island's isolation but there is also a large number of tourists. These objects are highly sought-after internationally and incredibly valuable."

Dr Orange said New Zealand museums held some important Rapa Nui artefacts.

Most came from the "Oldman collection", which was bought by the New Zealand Government from a private collector of Polynesian and Melanesian artefacts in the United Kingdom about 50 years ago.

When it came to New Zealand, the collection was split among four major and several provincial museums, Canterbury getting the Rapa Nui section, including small moai stone figurines and wooden objects like ceremonial paddles.

By legislation, Te Papa was responsible for the collection, which Dr Orange said would have tremendous value internationally.

"It could not be lent because of the high risk of theft."

Dr Orange was critical that no funding was available for maintenance of the Rapa Nui museum.

"The Chilean Government would find it advantageous to develop this island's facilities to international standards."

Department of Conservation manager of international relations, Andrew Bignall, said Rapa Nui was a difficult environment from a conservation point of view with erosion exacerbated by fire and exposure to the sea.

Mr Bignall said many plant species had been lost through deforestation.

The Pacific regional representative on the World Heritage Committee, Tumu te Heuheu, was also a member of the visiting delegation

He said the Rapa Nui population would have to lift itself politically, socially and economically if its culture was to survive.

Victoria University Samoan language expert Galumalemana Alfred Hunkin said the island's language, Rapanui, was threatened, although he was told more young people were speaking it after the introduction of early childhood initiatives similar to kohanga reo in New Zealand.

Moai - Easter Island statues

* Between roughly 1100 and 1650, Rapa Nui artists created nearly 900 moai.

* The giant stone sculptures typically weigh between 10 and 12 tonnes - although some weighed up to 70 tonnes.

* Some examples also wear a hatlike cylinder made of red stone on their heads, which may represent a headdress or elaborate hairstyle.