‘The pain is short, but the benefits will be long lasting’: Wairoa, Māhia and Mōhaka not included in two Hawke’s Bay rāhui as whitebait season approaches

While lots of places in Hawke's Bay are off limits for whitebaiting this season, it seems like the Wairoa River is gearing up for a big season. Photo / Warren Buckland

The start of the whitebait season on Friday will be marred for many in Hawke’s Bay as the result of two rāhui and a refusal by Hawke’s Bay Regional Council to issue consents for stands for the 2023 season.

But it seems as if the popular Wairoa River will still very much be open for fishing.

The Wairoa Star reported last week that almost all the whitebait stands along the Wairoa River had been reconstructed in the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle and were ready for the season.

Department of Conservation operations manager Hawke’s Bay Tryphena Cracknell said it was not aware of any rāhui (restriction) that were in place around the Wairoa, Māhia and Mōhaka areas.

She said the best local places to partake in recreational activities would be north of Esk or south of Cape Turnagain.

A rāhui placed on a large chunk of the Hawke’s Bay region after Cyclone Gabrielle by Mana Ahuriri remains in place going into the whitebait season.

The hapū and marae of Heretaunga Tamatea Settlement Trust have also placed rāhui in their rohe.

Both were supported by the regional council, DoC and Ngāti Kahungunu.

“Any decisions made for rāhui have been made according to treaty settlement areas. It is up to each area to decide whether or not to place rāhui,” Cracknell said.

“Following the rāhui is a matter of a person’s own personal values and integrity. We are asking people to respect the rāhui and allow the local whitebait population to recover after the impact of the storm.”

The regional council confirmed both rāhui cover all rivers to the Esk River (north) and Tarekaitai (Pōrangahau) River (south) in Hawke’s Bay.

Rivers within this area include the Tūtaekurī, Ngaruroro, Tukituki, Te Awa o Mokotūāraro (Clive River), Maraetōtara, Mangakuri and the Tarekaitai (Pōrangahau).

While Wairoa may be able to get its fishing fix, Ngāti Kahungunu chairman Bayden Barber confirmed iwi support for the two rāhui, citing talks from its Fish Hook Summit on July 12.

During the event, kaitiaki taiao (environmental guardians) presented an extensive analysis of the region’s rivers, estuaries and natural habitats for mahinga kai.

“Inanga (whitebait) are an important fish species within Ngāti Kahungunu. As tangata whenua kaitiaki we are asking that a rāhui/ restriction be put in place for this season allowing the habitat and species to slowly return to some form of normality,” he said.

“Although we are six months on from the cyclone, things are still far from where they were prior. We think that a rāhui for this season is appropriate considering what has occurred in Hawke’s Bay.”

He said he had not been involved in discussions with Wairoa tangata whenua in relation to a rāhui for that area of Hawke’s Bay.

“I have not had any discussions with them on this kaupapa. Wairoa tangata whenua will place rāhui when they feel it is appropriate,” he said.

Barber said environmental guardianship was about the long game, ensuring there was something there for the next generation.

“Climate change and natural disasters have huge impacts on our taiao, which means we all have to adapt accordingly. Sometimes it is best to just give it a break and allow it time to revive and replenish, that way there will be more for everyone.

“He mamae poto, engari he oranga mauroa. The pain is short, but the benefits will be long lasting,” he said.

Mitchell Hageman joined Hawke’s Bay Today in late January. From his Napier base, he writes regularly on social issues, arts and culture, and the community.

* This story has been updated after a clarification by DOC on September 6. The clarification is:

• DOC has supported Mana Ahuriri Trust and Heretaunga-Tamatea Settlement Trust with public notification of a rāhui in Hawke’s Bay.
• The rāhui also extends to Te Waiohingānga/the Esk River, with the support of Ngāti Matepū and Maungaharuru-Tangitū Trust, which also represents the tangata whenua hapū of that area including Ngāti Marangatūhetaua (Ngāti Tū) and Ngāi Te Ruruku.
• The rāhui places a restriction on whitebaiting in a defined area of the region and was announced on 8 August.
• This decision is based on the need to recover the environment after Cyclone Gabrielle, and to maintain and enhance a sustainable fishery amidst the significant sediment and environmental disruption to spawning.
  
• DOC regrets the error and apologises for any confusion it has caused.