“Whether we are marine users or kaimoana eaters or not – and I’m not – it’s not about us as individuals. It’s not about me. It’s about my grandchildren, your grandchildren. It’s greater than oneself.” Ngāti Pāoa’s Blair Anderson is speaking about the threat that invasive caulerpa seaweed poses to Aotearoa New Zealand’s environment, economy and way of life.
The Pou Rāhui iwi collective, comprised of Ngāti Pāoa, Ngāti Hei, Ngāti Tamaterā and Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki, are proposing a ramped-up approach to combat the spread of caulerpa, described by experts as “the most serious marine biosecurity incursion in our lifetime”.
Caulerpa was first detected in Aotearoa New Zealand waters in 2021 at Aotea Great Barrier and has since spread to other locations, including Waiheke in 2023. Up until now, it had only been found in one location on Waiheke, Onetangi Bay. But Blair says the latest NIWA dive found patches of it at Hākaimangō/Owhanake.
• Tessa King
Full story in this week’s Gulf News
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