June 01, 2023
Toxic seaweed reaches Ngātiwai
Ngātiwai say government is failing to control increasingly invasive and destructive foreign pest species in its Tai Tokerau rohe.
Runanga chair Aperahama Edwards says that shows it’s time for a fundamental shift in the treaty relationship, with the iwi being at the decision-making table rather than occasionally being asked for advice.
The iwi has watched in frustration the taio being hammered by kauri dieback, myrtle rust, the Asian paddle crab, the Mediterranean sandworm, and now the super-spreader caulerpa seaweed, which has reached Aotea Great Barrier.
“The spread is alarming and concerning. The properties of this weed are extremely concerning also. It’s toxic. It smothers the seabed. The strands that grow from it can grow to extreme lengths, and there’s been very little that can be done to prevent it from further spread,” Mr Edwards says.
He says too often iwi input is undervalued or not acted on.