What kūtai do: the ‘ecosystem services’ of mussels
June 20, 2021
Green-lipped mussel beds were once prolific in the Hauraki Gulf, covering up to 1,500 square kilometres of the Gulf. Being so abundant it was thought the mussels were inexhaustible.
Commercial fishing began in 1910 with as many as eight boats towing 2-3 metre wide steel dredges, to supply mussels to the domestic markets, mainly in Auckland. By the 1950’s the decrease in mussel populations in the Gulf was noticeable. However, fishery managers thought dredging might actually stimulate mussel growth, and that reefs would recover if they were given a break, but temporary closures and a reduction in the number of fishing boats did not help.
Despite a lack of harvesting pressure for the last 50 years, the damaged reefs have not been able to recovered naturally. The seabed has changed to mud, with large quantities of fine sediments flowing into the Gulf from forest and land clearance as the Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland and Waikato regions have developed.
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