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Download AudioNgāti Manuhiri and its conservation partners will release 150 tonnes of mussels into the waters off Mahurangi this weekend.
Chief executive Nicola MacDonald say it’s part of a long term plan to restore water quality in Te Moananui a Toi – the Hauraki Gulf.
The gulf used to contain extensive kūtai beds, but the species in now functionally extinct in the region.
“We’ve got more and more housing development happening, a lot of land-based activity so the kūtai acts as a wonderful filter to filter out all those impurities and bring that water back to an abundance of living. We know if we can get that done we are going to see more marine life and sea life returning,” Ms MacDonald says.
The mussels aren’t being reseeded for commercial take, although the plan is to restore marine life so people can eventually collect and enjoy kaimoana sustainably.
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