Environmental funding enables hapū to lead environmental DNA testing within their rohe

EPA science communication and research advisor Ham Davison. Photo / Supplied

Hapū-led testing of Rangitīkei waterways could reveal hundreds of organisms living in the water.

Ngā Wairiki Ngāti Apa is one of the 20 projects that recently got funding for eDNA testing from the Environmental Protection Authority's (EPA) Wai Tuwhera o te Taiao - Open Waters Aotearoa eDNA programme.

EPA science communication and research advisor Ham Davison said eDNA referred to all traces of genetic material left by all living creatures as they move through environments.

"Then for eDNA testing, eDNA is collected in a syringe and analysed by a lab to identify all the living creatures in that environment."

Davison said each kit includes a syringe which holds a litre of water, and one syringe could hold DNA from up to 100 organisms.

Identification could be by way of animal faecal traces, dead leaf traces, or any other living organism, she said.

Ngā Wairiki Ngāti Apa received 24 test kits from the EPA for its eDNA-testing project Wai ipukarea o Ngā Wairiki Ngāti Apa.

Te Runanga o Ngā Wairiki Ngāti Apa taiao [natural resources] iwi liaison Leanne Hiroti said they applied for the funding because they were interested in the use of new technology and how they could use it to understand what is in our waterways.

"We're really thankful to get funding to do something like this within our rohe, which is the Rangitīkei region," Hiroti said.

Ngā Wairiki Ngāti Apa are two iwi linked through whakapapa and mana whenua.

They plan to use eDNA testing to monitor changes and improvements through restoration and pest control within catchment areas of their rohe.

Hiroti said hapū in four areas would receive the kits; Kauangaroa, Whangaehu, Turakina and Parewanui.

She said they hadn't received the testing kits yet, but they were planning to run hui with each hapū within the next few months to decide where to carry out the testing.

"The hapū have lived in the areas for a long time. They understand and have stories of those space, so it makes sense for them to manage where and how they want to test.

Leanne Hiroti said it was important as an iwi to be able to take ownership of their environment. Photo / Supplied

"It's about establishing a baseline of what's present in the water, then the hapū decide if and when they would like to do another test to assess any changes."

She said the eDNA testing was great because it included many things you couldn't see.

"It would be really exciting if we found there were any taonga species."

She said these were special species to the iwi, such as kākahi, which is a type of freshwater mussel.

"We have historical research that tells us there were certain species in certain areas, so hopefully the testing can tell us whether or not that's still the case, or if they're not there anymore.

She said each hapū could then use that information to encourage and restore the habitat for those species to come back.

"So, it's really exciting to think about what we might find."

Davison said the EPA focused on water for this project because the tests developed by Wilderlab were accessible and easy to use for communities in waterways.

Wilderlab is Aotearoa's only exclusive environmental DNA (eDNA) testing laboratory.

Davison said the samples would be sent to Wilderlab in Wellington, and the results returned to the funded groups in the form of a report outlining the different species represented in the eDNA.

"It gives a snapshot in time of who and what is living in and around an area," she said.

Each kit costs $255, which includes the kits and the testing costs at Wilderlab, all of which the funding covers.

Davison said eDNA could help with pest management by indicating what species were still in certain areas - for example, if possum faeces showed up in the tests.

"It can also help groups choose what trees to plant that can best support what's already there," Davison said.

EPA principle engagement adviser Vanessa Crowe said the concept was to empower communities by giving them agency in the decision-making process of how they went about the environmental testing.

"How to connect better with communities as a proactive regulator company is a big part of the kaupapa of our engagement and long-term strategic goal."

She said the testing was easy to do and accessible for communities.

"If we can support people on the ground and connect them with organisations in a place-based way, it ultimately improves environmental protection at all levels."

Crowe said over the last three years, the EPA had worked with mana whenua, which helped them understand how mataranga Māori and science could sit next to each other.

She said originally, the idea was to make all the data accessible to anyone, but that changed after concerns over data ownership were raised by EPA Māori advisers.

"We've shifted to making the data private so that people have agency over who owns it, can access it and how it is used.

"It gives groups the knowledge and agency to confidently approach councils to show them what they have seen, and we have good evidence of what's happening in our waterways."

The data would belong to the groups and only go public if the groups decided, Crowe said.

Hiroti said it was important as an iwi for them to be able to take ownership of their environment.

"There's a lot of environmental testing going on at the moment, and by choosing how we manage the data we gather, we can make informed decisions from a Māori perspective on how we can continue to care for the environment."