Customary Fisheries Management:
Lake Repongaere Eel Survey: 2004
Hi Ika Publication:
Scientist Ian Ruru and members of Te Whanau a Kai and 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,
near Gisborne, 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.
This survey was carried out on behalf of the Lake Repongaere Owners by
Maumahara
Consultancy Services Ltd (MCS). MCS is an independant fisheries science
research provider and specialises in freshwater and environmental research.
The project was completed under contract to the Ministry of Fisheries.
Maumahara Consultancy Services Ltd., is currently completing a survey
of the Waipaoa Catchment with full
results expected by September 2006.
Free copies of
both the Lake Repongaere and Waipaoa Catchment Customary Eel Reports are
available online from
www.maumahara.co.nz.
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