In the northern reaches of the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park lies the Waihē (Mahurangi Harbour) opening to a cluster of small islands flowing north to Te Kawau Tumaro-o-Toi (Kawau Island) and then Mangatawhiri (Omaha), Whānga-ō-Maha (Leigh) and around the point to Ngā One Haea (Pākiri beach). The area has a special significance for marine conservation as it is home to Aotearoa New Zealand’s first-ever marine reserve.
Stretching from Ōkakari Point to Whakatūwhenua (Cape Rodney), the marine reserve at Te Hāwere-a-Maki (Goat Island) was established in 1975. It is also home to the University of Auckland’s Leigh Marine Laboratory – the home of shellfish research.
Ngāti Manuhiri Settlement Trust, mana whenua and mandated iwi authority, have a long-standing collaborative relationship with the University and are actively involved in several projects that seek to improve the state of the marine environment. This includes the Mahurangi East Land Restoration (MELR) project aimed at reducing sedimentation, and the Sustainable Seas Kohunga Kūtai project which looks at applying mātauranga (customary knowledge) in natural woven fibres as a sustainable alternative to using plastic spat ropes in marine farming.
Ngāti Manuhiri Settlement Trust and Revive Our Gulf celebrated Aotearoa New Zealand’s first-ever Matariki public holiday in 2022 by launching the Te Au o Morunga – Whakatō kūtai project that aims to restore the mauri (life essence) of Te Moananui-ā-Toi through re-establishing kūtai / mussel beds in the iwi rohe moana.
Te Au o Morunga refers to the thin shimmer you see out on the horizon on a calm day out on the moana. The project title is metaphoric – indicating progress towards a brighter future for Te Moanui-ā-Toi and for ngā uri o Ngāti Manuhiri.
The Whakatō kūtai project looks to create a ‘joined up’ series of kūtai beds across islands and bays that will help us understand mussel survival, recruitment and predation under different conditions.
In 2022, the project involved creating two substantial kūtai reefs near Moturekareka and Motuketekete Islands, deploying 150 tonnes of kūtai across adjacent sites, marking the largest kūtai deployment in Te Moana nui-ā-Toi.
The Moturekareka kūtai showed persistence and growth throughout the year following deployment. The Motuketekete kūtai faced challenges, experiencing notable losses due to sedimentation and issues with deployment methods at scale.
In July 2024, a further 100 tonnes (approximately 7 million kūtai) are being laid over two areas within Motuora and Martins Bay. Building on the previous Whakatō kūtai deployments, this time around we are experimenting with different deployment densities and general protocols for placing kūtai on the seabed for restoration.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Can people harvest and eat these kūtai (mussels)?
You’re welcome to visit, but please don’t take anything from the beds. We will be monitoring them for a number of years for ‘natural predation’. Taking kūtai will affect our results, so please don’t! You’ll find plenty of mussels at your local supermarket.
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What is known about the historical mussel beds in the Mahurangi and Kawau Bay area?
Ngāti Manuhiri have traditional mahinga kai (food gathering areas) across many of the intertidal areas of Waihē (Mahurangi) and Te Kawau-o–Toi with pipi, kūtai and kūkuroa (horse mussels). To the best of our knowledge the area was never commercially dredged for kūtai.
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