Hï Ika - Ministry of Fisheries

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New Management Controls for Eels in the North Island In 2003, the Minister of Fisheries decided to introduce the North Island eel fishery into the QMS on 1 October 2004 to bring it into line with the South Island and the Chatham Islands. MFish recognises that this is an important customary and recreational fishery, and a taonga of great spiritual value to Maori. The North Island eel commercial fishery, which started in the mid 1960s, had restricted numbers of fishers by the mid 1980s, but no catch limit. Before the introduction of the fishery into the QMS, it was necessary to determine the nature and extent of the stocks to be managed and the catch limits and allowances for those stocks. Consultation hui and meetings have been held and submissions closed in April 2004. In July 2004, the Minister produced a decision paper that: • Re-stated key elements of the Maori fisheries settlement legislation • Encouraged further contact between fishery interests, perhaps through the development of forums, to discuss common issues • Decided to set TACs under section 14 of the Act • Proposed a management strategy for the fishery over the next 10 years to - improve average size - increase the number of eels - halt any decline over the short term. As a result, the overall commercial catch in the North Island has been reduced by 8.25 percent for shortfin eels and 17.8 percent for longfin eels, in comparison to recent commercial landings. As eel species only breed once, at the end of their life, there will be closures to help spawning. All commercial fishing is prohibited from: • Motu and Mohaka River catchments • Most of the Whanganui River catchment, excluding - western tributaries of Tangarakau, Ohura and Ongarue River sub-catchments - ponds and dams not connected to tributaries or rivers flowing into Whanganui - the lower stem of the Whanganui River within its tidal reaches All commercial fishing will also be prohibited from areas of special significance to customary Maori interests, being: • Interconnected lakes Taharoa, Numuti, Rotoroa and Lake Harihari (Kawhia) • Whakaki Lagoon (Wairoa) • Lake Poukawa (Hastings) • Pencarrow Lake catchment (Wellington). Other commercial changes include the option to use a slightly smaller net mesh than 12 mm in order to reduce the abrasions found on the nose and tail of some eels, which affects their market value. The Ministry is confident that the new management controls for eels will lead to the rebuilding of the fishery. Good research will enable us to monitor improvement, with improved estimates of non-commercial catch. We will also work on the development of a stock strategy for the fishery to identify the future services that the Government will provide. Introduction to the QMS will enhance the opportunity for fishery interests to develop fisheries plans for the eel fisheries, in which progress has already been made for a number of stock. Fisheries Plans are expected to be very successful in the detailed management of all stock, and should prove particularly effective with eel fisheries.
Te Aitanga a Mahaki customary eel fisheries Scientist Ian Ruru and members of his hapu (Te Whanau a Kai) and iwi (Te Aitanga a Mahaki) are fast becoming experts on New Zealand freshwater eels in the lakes and waterways throughout the Waipaoa River catchment - and on its rich history of pa settlements and battles. They have surveyed eels in Lake Repongaere, Poverty Bay, looking at their size, age and growth rate, as well as checking past rainfall and river flow data to see if there were any clues to the recruitment success or failure of juvenile eels. This was all part of a research project, funded by MFish, designed to assess the present status of eel stocks within the Te Aitanga a Mahaki iwi rohe. “We were very fortunate to have the support of the Lake Repongaere owners, who saw the benefit of assessing the current state of eels in their lake,” says Ian. The lake has always been an important mahinga kai for the generations who have lived around it and its commercial potential has recently been developed. The group also undertook a mapping exercise to assess and prioritise other eel populations within the rohe. This involved integrating the historical knowledge of Maori elders and customary fishing experts with a GIS database to identify key customary fishing areas for possible future assessments. “Te Aitanga a Mahaki Trust see this as a catalyst to the development of an Eel Management Plan for the entire Waipaoa River Catchment, as well as contributing to iwi and hapu research capabilities,” says Ian, adding that a successful partnership between Maori elders, landowners, scientists, iwi researchers and the wider community was an unforeseen but happy outcome. Ian counts himself lucky to have worked with Ben Chisnall, an eel expert from Te Awamutu. They both enjoy working with iwi and hope to develop a successful research partnership that provides useful tools to tangata whenua wishing to rebuild and enhance their natural resources. “The vision of Te Aitanga a Mahaki and the communities along the Waipaoa River is to ensure that the eel resource is managed sustainably and remains a taonga for our mokopuna,” says Ian. “We hope to continue the recording and utilising of Maori knowledge alongside scientific information to improve the understanding of cultural values and improved sustainable management of customary eel fisheries.” Aerial view of Lake Repongaere. From left to right: Rose Wharehinga, Jack Tomoana, Colin Jones, Manu Job, Margaret Edwards, Ronni Symon, Pani Ruru, Ian Ruru, Rene Babbington, Bill Ruru and Martin Baker. From left to right: Matt Bryant, Bill Ruru, Wiremu Kaa, Ian Ruru, Ben Chisnall, Tiria Te Kurapa.
Page 1: Hï Ika Ka pü te ruha, ka hao te r
Page 5 and 6: Judith MacDonald (Rangitaane, Ngati
Page 7 and 8: “What do we do about all the peop

Hï Ika - Ministry of Fisheries

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