Ōhiwa Harbour mussel kuku restored in traditional bed in April 2024. Photo / Leigh Tait
Ōhiwa Harbour mussel kuku restored in traditional bed in April 2024. Photo / Leigh Tait
Ōhiwa Harbour’s mussel beds are recovering, with 45 million mussels now thriving across 11 hectares.
The mātauranga-led project by Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa and Professor Kura Paul-Burke combines traditional knowledge and marine science.
A two-year harvesting closure aims to protect the progress and ensure the mussels’ continued growth.
A visit to Ōhiwa Harbour might first be about picturesque views and the rich cultural history but beneath the surface, something remarkable is happening – its mussel beds are making a comeback.
After years of decline, a mātauranga-led restoration project from Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa, with support from University of Waikato marine scientist Professor Kura Paul-Burke and her team, is proving how the combination of traditional knowledge and marine science can turn the tide for marine ecosystems.
Back in 2019, there were only 80,000 kuku (green-lipped mussels) across the entire harbour, struggling against an overwhelming population of pātangaroa (11-armed seastars) that had been consuming them at an unsustainable rate.
Fast-forward to December 2024, and there are now 45 million mussels thriving across 11 hectares of the harbour floor.
“It’s an incredible milestone. What we’re seeing is not just a return of mussels but the re-establishment of a healthy, functioning marine ecosystem,” Paul-Burke said in a statement.
Ōhiwa Harbour in April 2024. Photo / Riki Reinfeld
The project has been a step-by-step journey, carefully managed through the removal of pātangaroa, hands-on restorative efforts, and ongoing monitoring.
2019 – 80,000 mussels across the harbour
2020 – 470,000 mussels following the first seastar removal trials
2021 – 800,000 mussels after further restoration efforts
2023 – 16 million mussels identified on the seafloor
2024 – 45 million mussels covering 11ha
With an increasing number of adult mussels now present, Paul-Burke’s monitoring shows the beds are becoming more resilient, capable of regenerating naturally and helping to stabilise sediment, improve water quality, and provide a habitat for marine life.
For Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa, the project is about more than just numbers; it’s about restoring a vital taonga species and ensuring the harbour remains a thriving mahinga kai (food basket) for future generations.
“This is exactly what we have been working towards. Seeing the mussel beds regenerate like this is a huge win for Ngāti Awa and the wider community,” Charlie Bluett, customary fisheries manager at Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa said.
The work in Ōhiwa Harbour is also influencing other iwi-led restoration efforts, with Professor Paul-Burke supporting similar projects across the country, including the University of Waikato Pou Rāhui project working with local iwi at Waiheke Island, Thames Coast, Coromandel, Great Barrier Island, and Maraetai-Clevedon.
“The success here is proof that mātauranga Māori is a powerful body of scientific knowledge,” Paul-Burke said.
“We’re seeing real, measurable environmental improvements, and that’s what makes this project so exciting.”
Juvenile silver trevally are at the mussel bed - a rare sight, as schools of fish are not often seen in the harbour.
To help protect the progress made, the Ministry for Primary Industries has placed a temporary two-year harvesting closure over the mussel beds, giving them time to stabilise and expand further.
A mussel kuku bed and pātangaroa, also known as 11 armed seastars. Photo / Leigh Tait
“Ensuring these mussels continue to thrive is key,” Toi Iti, Bay of Plenty Regional councillor and chair of the Ōhiwa Harbour Implementation Forum said.
“We’re proud to have been part of this effort from the beginning.”
With continued collaboration between Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa, Bay of Plenty Regional Council, and the seven partners of the Ōhiwa Harbour Implementation Forum, the future of the mussel beds, and the harbour’s wider ecosystem, looks bright.
