Marae finds use for leftovers

An Auckland boating club is putting unwanted fish cuts to good use and helping tackle nutritional, environmental and social issues at the same time.

The Outboard Boating Club (OBC) on Tamaki drive have partnered with the Papatuanuku Kokiri Marae in Mangere for its health food programme.

Thanks to the club’s upgraded fish filleting facility, which includes chillers and bins, the unwanted parts of a fish are utilised by the marae and South Auckland families.

Members of OBC separate unwanted fish heads, trimmings and offal from their catch which are collected by the marae.

Fish heads, regarded as ‘rangatira kai’ or chiefly food by Maori, are distributed by the marae to local families, churches, soup kitchens and other marae.

The fish guts are used as fertiliser in vegetable gardens of kumara, kale, rocket, beans, chillies and herbs.

OBC commodore Russell Watson said the scheme provided a winning solution for everyone involved.

‘‘The club’s fish trimmings are efficiently removed and the marae gets a valuable food supply,’’ Watson said.

The marae’s garden manager Lionel Hotene said the partnership was part of its goal to wean the community off fast food.

‘‘We see food, along with exercise and clean living, as the catalyst for social change which includes the elimination of the many gangs found in Mangere,’’ Hotene said.

‘‘We know what good food looks like and we want to make it more accessible to the community who are otherwise increasingly exposed to junk food.’’

OBC commodore Watson hoped the project could be an example to other fishing clubs.