Who's looking after Napier's tuatara?

Tuatara at the National Aquarium of New Zealand in Napier. Photo / Supplied

Napier City Council is calling on its Maori Committee to answer an age-old question about the future of tuatara at the city's National Aquarium of New Zealand.

According to a report to next Friday's committee meeting, the aquarium holds just one male tuatara, a 35-year-old named Alfie.

Aquarium general manager Rachel Haydon and general curator Joseph Woolcott say the aquarium has been engaging with top-of-the-south iwi Ngati Koata, which claims guardianship over the species and has initiated a Memorandum of Understanding to help protect that position and the future of tuatara.

Such an agreement would help regulate the future of tuatara at the aquarium and include provision for koha to Ngati Koata to help with an iwi education and advocacy programmes.

Other conditions sought include agreement that tuatara would be returned to the iwi if conditions could not be met.

The aquarium wants advice from the Maori Committee to determine if there are any agreements with Ngati Koata preceding that now being sought.

A recommendation is being made that the committee endorse the appropriate authorities who will act as kaitiaki of tuatara at the museum, and the aquarium general manager and general curator to negotiate terms with the Ngati Koata.