December 02, 2021
Ōrākei restores mussel reef
Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei hopes the revival of a mussel reef in Ōkahu Bay will boost the area’s mauri.
Environment and cultural lead Kingi Makoare says the Waitematā Harbour used to be full of kūtae, which are considered the sea’s kidneys, acting as filters to purify the water.
He says the trial seems to be going well.
“When we’ve gone down and had a look there the mussels are feeding, they’re clumping up and they’re actually thriving, so we’ve got a lot of cool footage of snapper down there, getting little invertebrates down there as well,” Mr Makoare says.
He says kaumatua and kuia hope to one day see the bay restored as a pātaka kai.