We’ve updated our resources section to make it easier to access research on our taonga freshwater species.
In 2017, we commissioned NIWA to bring together the existing research on freshwater fisheries so that we could get a better understanding of the status of these species. The resulting research was titled ‘Understanding taonga freshwater fish populations in Aotearoa’, it covers 8 different native species, including:
- Tuna (eels)
- Whitebait (including īnanga, kōkopu and kōaro)
- Kakahi / kaeo (freshwater mussels)
- Pātiki mohoao (black founder)
- Kanae (mullet)
- Piharau / kanakana (lamprey)
- Porohe (smelt)
- Kōura / kēwai (freshwater crayfish)
Each species report covers aspects like life-cycle, habitat, where they’re found, pressures on the populations and current management systems in place. These comprehensive reports provide an excellent overview of the status of these taonga freshwater species. The report also identifies gaps in our knowledge, where more research is required.
One of those areas is the impact of climate change. Te Wai Māori has partnered again with NIWA to look further into this. We’re expecting the completed report in March 2020 – we’ll publish it on our resources page once it’s available.
In the meantime, if you want to learn more about the life-cycle of tuna or the different types of whitebait, check out our resources page.
