South Taranaki hapū want kaimoana ban stretched to 100km

Difficult access down sea cliffs offers some protection for South Taranaki reefs, but hapū of Ngāruahine say a legal kaimoana ban is also needed. Photo / Phillip Capper CC by 2.0

Hapū of South Taranaki iwi Ngāruahine are asking for shellfish collection to be legally banned along their coast, stretching the region's prohibited area to 100km of shoreline.

In May the hapū of neighbouring Taranaki iwi asked the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries to reinforce their customary rāhui with a legal ban.

Kaumātua John Hooker said most hapū of Ngāruahine would this week also request an official ban along their coastline, under section 186A of the Fisheries Act.

If minister David Parker approved both applications, a two-year renewable ban would cover almost all the coast from New Plymouth to Hāwera, out to two nautical miles.

At the same time, Ngāruahine hapū would lay their own rāhui to stand alongside the legal ban.

The Taranaki hapū rāhui began around Ōpunakē in January, spurred by alarm at carloads and busloads from Auckland's Asian communities collecting kaimoana during the past two summers.

By May all the hapū of Taranaki iwi had joined, spreading the customary ban north to Paritutu in New Plymouth.

Hooker said five of the six Ngāruahine hapū now wanted to extend the rāhui south to Waihi Stream at Te Hāwera.

The only exception was a 10km gap between Otākeho Stream and Kāpuni Stream near Manāia.

"Ko te take kei raro i te mana moana o Ngāti Tū – kāore anō kua hui.

"Ētehi o Ngāti Tū tino whakaae, ēngari tā rātou ki tatari mō te hui hapū: koinei te mana, te mana moana, nā te hapū."

[Those coastal waters are under the authority of hapū Ngāti Tū, and they haven't yet met to confirm their view. Some Ngāti Tū are strongly supportive, but they're waiting for the hapū meeting: the hapū has mana moana.]

If Ngāti Tū decided on a rāhui they also could join the bid for a legal ban.

Taranaki's Mayoral Forum last week wrote to the minister supporting a legal ban.

The mayors of the three district councils and the chair of the regional council said "without some form of management in place to restrict harvesters from collecting along the coast the seabed will continue to be stripped bare".

Kaumātua John Hooker says hapū are exercising mana moana to protect the descendants of Tangaroa. Photo / Te Korimako o Taranaki

Hooker said the heads of hapū first met in January along with customary permit issuers, fishers and rūnanga officers.

He said one fisher from Ōeo objected that there should first be research into the health of species in the fishery.

"Ētehi anō ngā mātanga moana i roto tāua hapū ka kī rātou kao: kua mimiti haere ngā reanga kai ki reira, me tū te rāhui."

[Others in that hapū with expertise and experience of the coast said no, the generations of kaimoana have declined and a rāhui should stand.]

Kaitiaki who authorise gathering kaimoana for tangihanga had agreed to stop issuing customary permits despite obligations of hospitality, Hooker said.

"He aha te mea nunui? Manaaki tangata, manaaki tamariki o Tangaroa rānei?

"Koinā te tino ngako o te kaupapa - manaaki tamariki o Tangaroa, koinā ... Mēnā ka hiahia kaimoana, haere ki Pak'nSave."

[What's the most important thing? To give hospitality to people, or to protect our seafood? That's the nub of the issue – to take care of the descendants of Tangaroa ... If you want seafood, go to Pak'nSave.]

Ngāti Haua hapū has used rāhui on and off for 15 years, from Wahamoko Stream near Ōeo to Otākeho Stream.

In July last year they again banned kaimoana collection and wanted a Fisheries Act ban to bolster the rāhui.

The wider Ngāruahine rāhui and legal ban would differ from Taranaki iwi restrictions, Hooker said.

Collecting kina would continue as they could decimate other species if unchecked.

"Ki a mātou nei, āhua ōrite ki he possum te kina ... mēnā ka tango te kina ka tae te reanga pāua ki te tipu pai, pakari pai."

[To us kina are like possums ... if you remove some kina the new generation of pāua can grow and get strong.]

Fin-fish weren't included in the rāhui, but hapū want the daily legal catch limit for over-fished blue cod reduced from 10 to three.

Hooker said catching snapper and crayfish was encouraged due to healthy stocks.

"Tō mātou nei hiahia ki te eke iho te tāmure, me piki anō te blue cod.

"Ōrite mō ngā koura: pai ngā nama nāianei o ngā koura, me te tāmure. Kore he raru ki a mātou, me tango ērā momo o kai."

[We want to bring down the snapper population to allow the blue cod to rise again. Same for crayfish: the stocks of crays and snapper are good. To us there's no problem to take those species."]

Hooker said the region needed more fisheries officers and hapū would "arm-wrestle" the Ministry for Primary Industries for more resources for them.

Hapū would also consider establishing mātaitai reserves (which exclude commercial fishing) and taiāpure (local coastal fisheries managed by Māori committees with the minister) to continue marine protection.

Hooker said hapū knew rāhui could simply shunt over-fishing along the coast to neighbours.

From the start, Taranaki hapū had met with Ngāruahine representatives and, likewise, Ngāruahine was speaking with Ngāti Ruanui relatives about overlapping coastal interests around Te Hāwera.

Hooker said Araukuku and Ahitahi had already expressed interest in a rāhui but, along with Ngāti Tupaea and Ngāti Tanewai, they were yet to meet to fully consider the idea.

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