March 19, 2024
Okataina rahui for future generations
The chair of Ngāti Tarāwhai Iwi Trust says no golden clams have made their way from the Waikato River into Lake Ōkataina – and the iwi wants to keep it that way.
The trust has limited access to the lake to four days a week, Friday to Monday, now the Ministry for Primary Industries has syopped funding biosecurity efforts.
Cyrus Hingston saysit only takes one clam to start it off, and a self-compliance rate of 40 percent of boaties washing and drying their boats before launching into lakes around Rotorua isn’t good enough.
“We’re doing our best to protect the mauri of our roto. And that’s what we wanted to do. We want to ensure that it is safe for future generations and if that means we have to put restrictions on access that’s what we are going to do,” he says.
Access will be reduced to a three-day weekend at the end of April.