Iwi call for mussel ban

By JO-MARIE BROWN

As a 10-year-old, Hohepa Mason collected the juicy mussels that washed up along Ohiwa Harbour's beach. Now, he can find only broken shells in the sand.

The growing scarcity of mussels has prompted local iwi to ask the Ministry of Fisheries to impose a temporary ban of up to two years on harvesting them from the harbour, 14km northwest of Opotiki.

Such bans, enforceable under section 186A of the Fisheries Act, are becoming increasingly common. Four already exist in the North Island prohibiting all shellfish gathering at Karekare, Eastern and Cheltenham beaches in Auckland, and preventing cockles and pipi from being harvested on the Coromandel Peninsula between Wilson and Ngai Rimu Bay.

A fifth ban, on the taking of mussels at Mt Maunganui, will be announced next month.

Mr Mason, 69, now Ngati Awa Trust Board's general manager, said a customary ban, known as a rahui, on collecting mussels had been in place at Ohiwa Harbour since late last year.

But it was voluntary and some people were still "thrashing" the resource.

"Ohiwa Harbour is not a large harbour, and there would be plenty of mussels there for everyone if people were sensible about it," he said.

"But because of over-harvesting, a lot of the mussel beds have been depleted to such an extent that the future of mussel gathering is in danger."

A 1978 survey estimated that there was 8ha of mussels in the harbour. Mr Mason is not sure how many are left but believes the number has more than halved.

"In the good old days you could just go there and swim a little distance and get your 50 mussels no trouble at all.

"Now you can go there and spend half a day and be lucky to get 50."

Ministry officer Tom Teneti said mussels were still in the harbour but were often juvenile.

"The residents ... want to see the resource that they today enjoy protected for their grandchildren and great-grandchildren."

Ministry adviser Bob Drey plans to meet iwi from Whakatane, Opotiki and Te Kaha on Wednesday to discuss introducing a section 186A ban.

Mr Drey said pressure on fishing resources would continue to grow in future and Maori were increasingly turning to the Fisheries Act for protection.

A formal ban had been sought by iwi in Mt Maunganui after concerns that the public was ignoring the voluntary rahui on gathering mussels between Moturiki and Motuotau Islands.

"The purpose of [the ban] is simply to close it to all harvesting to allow the area to recover," said Mr Drey.

"The intention is to improve the number or size of fish or shellfish that is available to Maori in their exercise of customary rights.

"I've had a number of contacts with iwi expressing some interest in exploring the use of them."

In addition to the bans, the 1996 Kaimoana Customary Fishing Regulations allow for the establishment of Mataitai or Taiapure Reserves in the area of concern once the temporary bans are lifted by the Minister of Fisheries.

Mr Drey said both options allowed iwi to become directly involved in the long-term management of the fishery to help ensure it would not be depleted again.