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Teams from Ngai Tuahuriri and conservation volunteers have sunk more than 200 straw bales in Otautahi waterways to provide a spawning habitat for inaka or whitebait.
The Whaka Inaka project grew out of research on the Opawaho Heathcote and Otakaro Avon rivers to identify and improve spawning areas in the post-earthquake environment.
Whitebait now spawn a lot further down the Opawaho Heathcote River, extending the known spawning area by some three kilometres downstream.
The study also found spawning could be re-started in previously barren stretches of river if bales were put in these areas.
Ngai Tahu cultural Te Marino Lenihan hopes the project will help grow the next generation of kaitiaki and tangata tiaki or customary fisheries representatives.
Whaka Inaka has forged good relationships with 16 local primary schools, who are now starting to take an interest in what happens in the mahinga kai.
.To find out more go to www.facebook.com/whakainaka
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