The rahui
In 2017 Te Whānau Moana/Te Rorohuri laid a rāhui over the area to stop all fishing and taking of seafood in order to allow the area to recover.
You can help by refraining from removing any shellfish / fish from the area.
The Ministry for Primary Industries supports the conservation initiative but does not enforce the ban. Instead, the current emphasis is on education not enforcement.
Please respect it
"People are respecting it, they understand what we're trying to achieve. They agree and they support it”.
The rahui is effective even if it can't be legally enforced. It has been respected by most people and makes them think about their effect on marine life.
“It's embedded in people's minds now. They take what they need, not necessarily what they are allowed.”
Boundaries
To protect, preserve and restore
End of 2017 a rahui was placed on to Maitai Bay making it a complete NO TAKE ZONE.
As kaitiaki we, Te Whanau Moana me Te Rorohuri and wider community, wanted to take action to improve the management of our rohe and to slow the rate kaimaona was being taken from our moana.
The rahui is there to restore the mauri (life force, health) of Maitai Bay and to ensure our tamariki and mokopuna will still be able to enjoy the natural taonga in the future.
By prohibiting access, the resources of the area will hopefully be given time to be restored. As a community we believe the rahui is the first step to moving forward for the sustainability of our kaimona.
Our goals
Our goals:
- Bring balance back to our moana
- Restore depleted areas
- Restore the TAPU, restore the MANA
- Implement a sustainability plan for the future generations
In critical need of extra protection
Historical evidence, extensive local knowledge, and more recent scientific research shows the area of Maitai Bay is in critical need of extra protection. Due to its high ecological values and favourable environmental conditions, it is an ideal location to start the process of enforcing kaitiakitanga (guardianship) for our moana.
We are witnessing the decline in our fish numbers in the area and the spread of kina barrens along our coast which is highlighting the urgency for us to act before it is too late.