Because of the lack of animals on the island, hunting is not practiced. Marine fauna are the major source of protein in the Tikopia diet and are taken by line or net fishing, frequently from sea-going canoes, or by collecting with nets along the reefs. The bulk of the diet, however, comes from fruits, vegetables and root crops, both wild and cultivated. Major crops include taro, breadfruit, yams, manioc, sago, pulaka, coconuts, bananas, and tobacco. In general, men fish, do woodworking, make nets, and clear the fields.
Women do most of the collecting and tending of the crops, and also make mats and bark cloth.
Both sexes engage in planting and food preparation. With increasing population pressure on the island resources and greater articulation with the outside world, migratory wage work on the Solomon and New Hebrides islands has become an important economic activity, especially for males. The Tikopians are distributed into 21 villages located along the coastline. No particular settlement pattern characterizes these villages, nor are there any village headmen. Village households are most frequently composed of a single nuclear family, but households comprising extended families or nuclear families plus other kin are also common.