Ngāi Tūāhuriri has placed a rāhui over its customary whitebait season, putting customary fishing on hold until further notice amid concerns about safety, tikanga and the protection of customary rights.
The hapū says the decision follows careful consideration of mana, rangatiratanga and its responsibilities as kaitiaki of mahinga kai within the Ngāi Tūāhuriri takiwā.
The customary season was established five years ago to provide opportunities for kaumātua to safely fish their rivers alongside mokopuna, allowing mātauranga, tikanga and fishing traditions to be passed between generations.
However, the Ngāi Tūāhuriri Tangata Tiaki committee says there has been ongoing abuse of the customary arrangements and some whānau fishers no longer feel safe taking part.
The rāhui will give Ngāi Tūāhuriri time to review what has happened over the past five years, engage with whānau and reset the processes and protocols governing its customary season.
The hapū says customary fishing rights must remain firmly connected to the responsibilities that come with those rights, including protecting tikanga, mana and the mauri of the rivers.
Te Papa Atawhai Department of Conservation is backing the decision and says it followed a robust process involving the hapū, DOC and other responsible agencies.
DOC says it will work to ensure the rāhui is respected.
Customary Māori whitebait fishing operates differently from the general recreational fishery. Māori fishing rights are grounded in tikanga and protected under Te Tiriti o Waitangi, with local rūnanga, iwi and hapū managing customary whitebait fishing within their respective rohe.
The rāhui comes just ahead of the general whitebait season, which runs throughout most of Aotearoa from September 1 until October 30.
DOC says compliance patrols will again take place around Canterbury rivers during the season and is urging fishers to respect one another and the waterways supporting the fishery.
For Ngāi Tūāhuriri, the pause is about more than the collection of whitebait. It is an opportunity to strengthen kaitiakitanga and ensure customary practices can continue in a way that protects whānau, tikanga and the relationship between generations and their awa.
The customary rāhui will remain in place until further notice.
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