NON-COMMERCIAL FISHERIES
Code
Title
EEL2006/04
Motu River eel fishery population survey
EEL2006/05
Turaekaetai River eel population survey
Project:
Motu River eel fishery population survey
Project Code:
EEL2006/04
Start Date:
1 June 2007
Completion Date:
30 September 2008
Vessel Use:
NA
Overall Objectives:
1. To assess the present status of eel stocks within customary eel fishing rohe.
Specific Objectives:
1. To assess the current species, age structure, growth rate and sex composition of
freshwater eels in the Motu River and its main tributaries to provide a reference
point for any future monitoring of the population and management of the
respective customary fishery.
Note: This project would require close consultation and involvement of local iwi in
undertaking the survey and communication of the results.
Reporting Requirements
Research Reporting:
Objective 1
1. To submit to MFish a Final Research Report as specified in Form 5 or a draft
Fishery Assessment Report as specified in Form 7 by 30 October 2008.
2. To present the report detailed in 1 above to meetings of the Eel Fishery Working
Group in Hamilton and Christchurch in August/September 2008.
Project Update Reports
No Project Update Reports are required for this project.
Work In Progress Reports
Monthly Work In Progress Reporting (Form 13) is required for this project in
accordance with Conducting Research with the Ministry document.
Data Reporting
To submit any data generated, collected or modified during the course of this project
to the Research Data Manager, MFish by 30 November 2008.
Rationale:
Eel are very highly valued by Maori. Historically eels constituted a very important
food source. There is no quantitative assessment of the current level of customary
harvest. For the introduction of North Island eels into the QMS from 1 October 2004,
an allowance of 120 tonnes has been made for customary use and 95 tonnes for
recreational harvest.
The importance to customary Maori of research on local area eel populations to assist
in the management of the customary fishery has been demonstrated by a recent
project EEL2003/02. This project assessed the current species, size and age
composition and growth rate of freshwater eels in Lake Repongaere to provide a
reference point for any future monitoring of the population and management of the
customary fishery. It also provided a mapping exercise that assessed and prioritised
other eel populations in the Waipaoa River catchment within the Te Aitanga a Mahaki
iwi rohe.
Objective 1
The Motu River, on the western side of East Cape, is one of the largest in the Bay of
Plenty Region. The catchment is closed to commercial fishing for the purpose of
facilitating escapement of adult eels in breeding condition. Customary fisheries still
exist throughout parts of the catchment.
This objective will determine the age structure, growth rate and sex composition of
the eel population in the Motu River and its main tributaries. The size and age
composition of juvenile eels (< 300 mm) would be determined to provide evidence of
any intermittent recruitment, and also be an index of future recruitment into the
"adult" fishery (i.e. tuna of sufficient size for harvest for customary purposes). This
objective would also produce information that is relevant to the GIS based spatial
model that has been developed for estimating the longfin female eel biomass and
spawning escapement project EEL2006-03: Spawning escapement of female longfin
eels.
Weighting of Objectives:
Weightings indicate the relative importance of each of the objectives. The weightings
for the objectives in this project are (in order): 1.0.
Project:
Turaekaetai River eel population survey
Project Code:
EEL2006/05
Start Date:
1 June 2007
Completion Date:
30 September 2008
Vessel Use:
NA
Overall Objectives:
1. To assess the present status of eel stocks within customary eel fishing rohe.
Specific Objectives:
1. To assess the current species, age structure, growth rate and sex composition of
freshwater eels in the Turaekaetai River and its main tributaries to provide a
reference point for any future monitoring of the population and management of
the respective customary fishery.
Note: This project would require close consultation and involvement of local iwi in
undertaking the survey and communication of the results.
Reporting Requirements
Research Reporting:
Objective 1
1. To submit to MFish a Final Research Report as specified in Form 5 or a draft
Fishery Assessment Report as specified in Form 7 by 30 October 2008.
2. To present the report detailed in 1 above to meetings of the Eel Fishery Working
Group in Hamilton and Christchurch in August/September 2008.
Project Update Reports
No Project Update Reports are required for this project.
Work In Progress Reports
Monthly Work In Progress Reporting (Form 13) is required for this project in
accordance with Conducting Research with the Ministry document.
Data Reporting
To submit any data generated, collected or modified during the course of this project
to the Research Data Manager, MFish by 30 November 2008.
Rationale:
Eel are very highly valued by Maori. Historically eels constituted a very important
food source. There is no quantitative assessment of the current level of customary
harvest. For the introduction of North Island eels into the QMS from 1 October 2004,
an allowance of 120 tonnes has been made for customary use and 95 tonnes for
recreational harvest.
A past project EEL2003/02 assessed the current species, size and age composition and
growth rate of freshwater eels in Lake Repongaere to provide a reference point for
any future monitoring of the population and management of the customary fishery. It
also provided a mapping exercise that assessed and prioritised other eel populations in
the Waipaoa River catchment within the Te Aitanga a Mahaki iwi rohe.
Objective 1
The Turaekaetai River runs through Porangahau, the coastal settlement on the lower
east coast of the North Island.
Ngati Kere represents a collective of 14 coastal hapu whose rohe starts at Ouepoto
then inland to Epairama then across to Ngaipairuru then out to Akito on the coast.
Numerous historical eel fishing weirs are recorded along the Turaekaetai River and
catchments in Mangaorapa, Teuri, Epairama and Purima areas. There are several
swamps and lakes, the largest at Huranui and Purima. Land surrounding these lakes is
still in Maori ownership and has been a kai resource for hundreds of years. Ngati
Kere Rohe Trust supports this part of the research proposal.
This objective will determine the age structure, growth rate and sex composition of
the eel population in the Turaekaetai River and its main tributaries. The size and age
composition of juvenile eels (< 300 mm) would be determined to provide evidence of
any intermittent recruitment, and also be an index of future recruitment into the
"adult" fishery (i.e. tuna of sufficient size for harvest for customary purposes). Note:
This project would require close consultation and involvement of local iwi in
undertaking the survey and communication of the results.
Weighting of Objectives:
Weightings indicate the relative importance of each of the objectives. The weightings
for the objectives in this project are (in order): 1.0.