Plunder of sea bounty to be probed

Action urged before all kaimoana is gone

Taranaki Regional Council will investigate the state of kaimoana stocks after multiple hapu¯ banned shellfish gathering. In early January the hapu¯ of Orimupiko ¯ marae placed a ra¯hui (traditional closure) on taking kaimoana from a 12km stretch of coast centred on O¯ punake, after a huge influx of gatherers from outside the region.

The ra¯hui now extends some 40km along the coast from south of O¯ punake to north of Cape Egmont.

The closure was in place until July 31, with hapu¯ further north as far as O¯a¯kura also considering joining.

Regional council chairman David MacLeod added a late item to Tuesday’s policy and planning committee meeting, calling on officers to seek out evidence for a decline in kaimoana over time.

“I personally have anecdotal evidence from when I was younger through to today that kaimoana stocks are worse off.”

He said staff must find how bad the problem was, the implications, and measures the regional council could take, perhaps with the Ministry for Primary Industries.

Councillor Neil Walker said three possible causes of decline needed checking: overfishing, pollution and natural causes such as sand drift.

An iwi representative on the committee, Bonita Bigham, said the state of kaimoana was “a huge issue”.

“The number of cars coming to the end of Ma¯nihi Rd and Arawhata Rd, the busloads coming, it is a crisis. Regardless of the science, I think the issue is that there is a crisis.”

Bigham said the hapu¯ of Taranaki iwi needed to be included in the council investigation.

“Could we please invite Taranaki iwi to come and speak to their rationale for the ra¯hui, and share their ma¯tauranga (knowledge and understanding)?”

MacLeod’s call for an investigation was passed unanimously by the committee.

The hapu¯ of Orimupiko ¯ plan to apply for a legal ban under the Fisheries Act, especially for pa¯ ua, that could last two years and be renewed.

Other hapu¯ that had placed ra¯hui were also considering a legal ban.

Orimupiko ¯ kaitiaki o te moana (coastal guardian) Jack Davey said hapu¯ were already moving to survey the coast.

“Our next step is to have a look at which areas have been exhausted, and after two years we might be able to say only particular areas need to be put back under protection.”

Separately to the extensive west coast ra¯hui, Nga¯ruahine’s Nga¯ti Ha¯ua hapu¯ in July placed a ra¯hui on their 7km coastline further south, from Wahamoko Stream near Oeo to O¯ takeho Stream.

Nga¯ti Ha¯ua kaitiaki Sid Nga¯tai said they also want a Fisheries Act ban to bolster the ra¯hui.

“Iwi need to start shutting it down with the assistance of the Crown — shut it down for two years at least.”

Despite being 70 years old, Nga¯tai said he does a stocktake of the hapu¯ ‘s 18 named reefs every six weeks in summer, taking along rangatahi (young people) to pass on knowledge.

“It’s really good, since I get to talk with my rangatahi on the h¯ıkoi (stocktake walk) . . . I talk to them about how I was taught by my koroua, my pa¯hake (elders).”

He said the reefs had been “hammered”.

“We’ve got to make a sacrifice now, or there’s not going to be anything left for our mokopuna.”