Summer 2024 Mauri Compass results indicate that the Mauri of the our Urenui Awa is resilient despite pollution challenges
The sheer number and size of the tuna caught in unbaited hīnaki at sites in Urenui Awa catchment in a recent Mauri Compass sampling trip, was both pleasing and reassuring. We had over 80 Tuna from 8 unbaited hīnaki at 4 sites between Kaka Road and Avenue Road and a general feeling of improvement both ecologically and culturally. It’s too early to tell if the big catches are just an outlier, or related to the phase of the Maramataka or some improvement in the mauri or wairua of the Urenui Awa, but with more whānau participation and a stronger sense of connection we think the cultural value in these surveys is really starting to show.
At one site located very near Otumoana and Manowhareiti Pā sites on the Mangaoreiti tributary, evidence was found of empty Kākahi (freshwater mussel) shells located well away from the stream edge. We believe this may be indicative of rat predation on a population of Kākahi nearby
We are always looking for volunteers for future work, preferably some brave in the domain of large Tuna as we would love to widen the scope of our Mauri Compass work and carry out a more thorough search for Kākahi populations near where the shell evidence was found. Confirmation of the species of Kākahi present may indicate whether they may have been seeded there by Ngāti Mutunga Tūpuna living at the nearby pā sites who may have been maintaining their kete of mahinga kai.
The 2024 summer Mauri Compass survey in Onaero Awa catchment was also very positive with large catches of Tuna and plenty of other life.
