Koloa Talake

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Koloa Fineaso Talake (7 June 1934 – 26 May 2008) was a Tuvaluan politician. He was born in Vaitupu and worked in public service before entering parliament, serving as the Gilbert and Ellice Islands colony auditor (1973–1975), then as Tuvalu’s auditor (1976–1977) and finance secretary (1977–1978).

Talake was elected to Parliament for Vaitupu in 1993 and served as Tuvalu’s Minister of Finance from 1993 to 1996. After a vote of no confidence toppled the government, he became Tuvalu’s seventh Prime Minister and Foreign Minister on 14 December 2001, serving until 2 August 2002.

During his time as prime minister, he helped Tuvalu earn income by selling the country’s internet domain, .tv, to an American company. In 2002, he worked with leaders of Kiribati and the Maldives on a lawsuit against the United States and Australia, arguing that delays in Kyoto Protocol actions would harm small island nations through rising sea levels.

Talake was not re-elected in the 2002 general election and left office. He moved to Auckland, New Zealand, where his children lived, and died there in 2008 at the age of 73.