Lockdown sends mutton birders home
Mutton birders on the Titi Islands at the bottom of New Zealand have been ordered home and the Bluff oyster industry is grappling whether to continue operating during the coronavirus lockdown.
Ngai Tahu kaumatua Michael Skerrett said the Rakiura Titi Island administering body had revoked the permits of mutton birders on the ex Crown titi islands – a decision he was against.
‘‘It should have been their choice to stay or come back.’’
He believed there were at least 30 people on the islands who were being helicoptered home this week.
The season does not start until April 1 but they had arrived early to set up, at a lot of expense, he said.
He said there had been no community spread of coronavirus when the mutton birders arrived on the island.
‘‘Where would a safer place be on the planet at the moment?’’ he questioned.
‘‘It’s more dangerous for them to come back here.’’
Skerett said there were also muttonbirders on other titi islands which had been in the same families for generations, and were not under the control of the administering body, and some of those muttonbirders were staying put.
He was considering joining his family on one of those islands when the time was right as he believed it was the safest place to be.
Meanwhile, a Bluff oyster boat skipper has decided not to work during the lockdown, in a bid to prevent the virus spreading, but others have yet to decide.
Willie Calder said he wasn’t entirely sure if the Bluff oyster industry was classed as an essential service but he had made the call to stop working anyway.
He has two oyster boats in the family, the Argosy and his sister’s boat, the Southern Enterprise.
With two crews and 17 staffers in the factory it was ‘‘too risky’’ for the workers, he said. ‘‘We will do our bit for the town and cut out any risk we can.’’
It was safer to stay at home like the majority of the public was doing, Calder believed.
‘‘I am sure the public can do without oysters for a month.’’