Editorial: Sea burial fire needs putting out

The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has identified five locations as being suitable for sea burial, including the area 70km north-east of Cape Brett.

Cremation, burial and now a third option - sea burial.

It seems the chance to be buried at sea has been around for a wee while, but has now been formalised by the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) with five locations identified as being suitable.

The area in Northland is 70km north-east of Cape Brett, within a four nautical mile radius (about 7km) of that precise location, which these days is easily determined with a GPS.

The new location has made waves though, within the Ngati Kahu iwi whose rohe (area) the sea burial spot is within.

Maori have quite precise traditions and rules even, when it comes to dealing with death.

Generally, Maori tikanga dictates that a person is buried in the ground.

So a burial at sea does not sit quite right with Maori tikanga.

But what also does not sit right with Ngati Kahu is the consultation that took place over the Northland sea burial site.

The EPA says it consulted with the Te Hiku o te Ika Fisheries Forum which includes representatives of Ngati Kahu.

However, chief executive of Te Runanga a Iwi o Ngati Kahu Anahera Herbert-Graves says Ngati Kahu has no connection to the forum.

Something has gone awry somewhere, and given the sensitivities around the subject, it needs to be tidied up ASAP.

At best, it may be an oversight that key people within Ngati Kahu were surprised to hear of the burial site's designation.

At worst, it is departmental box ticking, an affront to Ngati Kahu and damaging to the already fractious Maori/Government relationship.

Someone has some fires to put out, and it's not Ngati Kahu.