Paturau Mātaitai reserve officially opened
Steady rain made umbrellas and wet weather gear essential. Photo: Neil Wilson.
Community leaders hailed the co-operation of many sectors at last Saturday’s official opening of Mohua Ki Te Tai Tapu Mātaitai at Paturau. The mataitai is an iwi-led reserve in which commercial fishing is not allowed so that recreational fishing can be sustained for the future.
“I know that all iwi are proud to be responsible for the first mātaitai in the Top of the South,” said local kaumatua John Ward-Holmes. “But it came about because of the energy and support of a lot of people - local people who want to preserve this fishery for their mokopuna, organisations like DOC and the large crowd of interested community folk who came to our public meeting and gave us their 100 per cent support.”
Mr Ward-Holmes thanked the members of the community living near the mātaitai who have agreed to become the voluntary wardens. He also paid particular tribute to John Waugh, whose concerns about the depletion of paua stocks on the coast prompted him to investigate measures for protecting the recreational fishery.
The opening took place in driving wind and rain, making conditions difficult for the dignitaries and the large crowd that gathered at the Paturau River. Once the sign had been unveiled and blessed, the hosts provided a welcome feast. Then the sky cleared, allowing visitors to negotiate their way out past the in-flood river.
Neil Wilson
