A very important point to remember re paua depletion is that the damage is exponential.
Thinning out paua density makes their reproduction by mass broadcast spawning less effective, thereby reducing the possible numbers of juveniles growing on for the future.
This is where the rahui area assumes huge importance. As numbers drop elsewhere, and reproduction becomes more randomised, the rahui area increasingly gains importance for its ability to restock neighbouring areas.
It is important to note at this point that the rapid depletion of other areas should be taken as absolute evidence that the Tauroa area cannot sustain the current amount being taken, and steps need to be considered to address this urgently.
If the rahui area were to be opened the result should be patently obvious to everyone.
Video in the rahui area include a very small amount of footage that shows some good groupings of large paua, the best footage was of a small rock pool crevice that is full of paua of varying sizes, from post-cryptic juveniles to large, legal-sized paua. This small pool, approximately 1.5 metres in length, was spotted from standing on the rocks.
There is nowhere else on the reef that this can be seen, and to be honest it has not been seen for the last 30 or so years. The rahui area is beginning to look like a window into the past of what the place looked like 50 years ago.
There is also a good regeneration of kina, and hence a good breeding population to assist the repopulation in other areas of Tauroa.
It is worth noting that kina and overpopulation of kina, creating kina barrens, has never been an issue on the west coast, and is unlikely to become an issue, as the turbulent forces of the west coast sea prevent them clinging on to anything but sheltered structures.
In an area of New Zealand that was recognised as being abundant in paua, ie the top of the South Island, local iwi pushed to have recreational limits halved several years ago. It seems that this may possibly have been too little too late as the commercial take in the area has since recently been substantially reduced by 40 per cent.
It would seem that this should have happened the other way around, with the commercial catch being reduced to ensure the availability of paua for iwi, as guaranteed, and a duty of the Minister of Fisheries under the Sealord deal.
The commercial quota for Area One, or at least the possibility of it being taken from Tauroa, should be removed.
Recreational limits could be halved, reducing pressure on an already overtaxed resource.
Taking could be seasonalised, ie gathering only permitted after spawning seasons or restricted to the winter months to reduce the impact of ever-increasing pressure over the summer months, restricting access, etc.
There is obviously a variety of possible actions that may alleviate the problem of paua depletion at Tauroa.
LAURIE AUSTEN
WAIMANONI
