ROG strongly supports the request by Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa for a further two-year temporary closure under section 186A of the Fisheries Act 1996 over the proposed area within Ōhiwa Harbour, prohibiting the harvest of kuku / green-lipped mussels.

We acknowledge and commend the leadership of Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa and neighbouring iwi in restoring kuku beds within Ōhiwa Harbour. The research, seastar removal, spat generation using tī kōuka lines, reseeding and ongoing protection described in the application demonstrate an impressive, sustained, practical, tangata whenua-led commitment to restoring this taonga species.

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