“They are shocked that this has happened, questioning why someone would commit such a crime,” she said.
She said the alleged incident was deeply disheartening for a small iwi working hard to build economic opportunities for its people and the iwi would now face additional costs from recovering and resetting the assets.
Te Aupōuri is a relative newcomer to New Zealand’s aquaculture industry.
The mussel farm north of Kaitāia, now in its third year, is part of a long‑term aquaculture development that began after the iwi regained control of its Houhora farm following its 2012 Treaty settlement and the return of leases signed in 2018.
Green‑lipped mussel farming has become a significant economic pathway for Te Aupōuri, with the iwi gathering juvenile mussels (kūtai) from Ninety Mile Beach and growing them on longlines before transferring them to other regions for finishing.
Te Aupōuri previously described the farm as a chance to build intergenerational benefits and local employment in an industry forecast to exceed $3 billion nationally by 2035.
Te Aupōuri Fisheries Management plans to develop nine marine farms in Northland.
The rūnanga is expected to comment further once more information comes to light.
Sarah Curtis is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on a wide range of issues. She has nearly 20 years’ experience in journalism, most of which she spent court reporting in Gisborne and on the East Coast.
