title: DrownBaseTM – Identifying at risk factors: Strategies and issues around Māori practices and activities towards water safety

authors: Karapu, Rolinda

subjects: Maori

abstract: Aotearoa has some of the most extensive and beautiful waterways in the world. The seas, rivers, beaches, and lakes provide endless opportunities for Māori to enjoy water activities, such as gathering kai, swimming, hoe waka, diving and fishing (Haimona & Takurua, 2003). For Māori, water is one of the greatest taonga (treasures) of this land – both physically and spiritually. Māori have always been acknowledged as possessing expertise in swimming and aquatic activities pre-European times (Haimona & Takurua, 2003). Early writers such as Best (1976) wrote extensively about Māori games and pastimes while in, on or near the water. These early descriptions illustrate the practice that Māori children were taught to swim at a very early age. The gathering of seafood and the consistent use of waterways as a mode of transport were also customary activities for Māori. The traditional beliefs and practices of Māori, demonstrate a great awareness and understanding of water, its dangers and its life-giving properties.

text: DrownBaseTM – Identifying at risk factors: Strategies and issues around Māori practices and activities towards water safety Aotearoa has some of the most extensive and beautiful waterways in the world. The seas, rivers, beaches, and lakes provide endless opportunities for Māori to enjoy water activities, such as gathering kai, swimming, hoe waka, diving and fishing (Haimona & Takurua, 2003). For Māori, water is one of the greatest taonga (treasures) of this land – both physically and spiritually. Māori have always been acknowledged as possessing expertise in swimming and aquatic activities pre-European times (Haimona & Takurua, 2003). Early writers such as Best (1976) wrote extensively about Māori games and pastimes while in, on or near the water. These early descriptions illustrate the practice that Māori children were taught to swim at a very early age. The gathering of seafood and the consistent use of waterways as a mode of transport were also customary activities for Māori. The traditional beliefs and practices of Māori, demonstrate a great awareness and understanding of water, its dangers and its life-giving properties.

year: 2008

title: Utuhina Stream 2006-2020: In-stream alum dosing effects on fish and aquatic invertebrates

authors: Ling, Nicholas

abstract: This report presents the results of an on-going assessment of the fish and aquatic macroinvertebrate communities of the Utuhina Stream, Lake Rotorua, from 2006 to 2020, and an assessment of the bioavailability of aluminium in fish and kōura to satisfy Bay of Plenty Regional Council’s annual resource consent conditions 9.6, 9.8 and 9.7, respectively, for consent 65321 for the discharge of alum to the Utuhina Stream. Macroinvertebrates, fish and kōura (freshwater crayfish) were sampled from one control and two treatment reaches of the Utuhina Stream annually. Common bully (Gobiomorphus cotidianus) is the dominant species in the fish community of the Utuhina Stream. Kōura (Paranephrops planifrons) and juvenile trout were always present at all sites but variable in abundance. Differences in species abundance from year to year are most likely due to flood-related disturbances to stream bank morphology and in-stream vegetative cover or physical displacement of fish. No obvious effects of alum dosing on stream fish or macroinvertebrate communities were observed between the upstream control site and sites downstream of the alum discharge. Several other fish species were occasionally captured during sampling and the regular occurrence of juvenile koaro from 2016 to 2019 is possible evidence of this taonga species becoming established in the Utuhina. Analysis of stream macroinvertebrates also showed no consistent differences between the upstream control site and the sites downstream of the alum dosing. Overall, all sites were characterised as fair to good quality for a soft-bottomed stream. Some evidence of aluminium bioaccumulation was seen in some tissues of common bully (gills and liver) in some years, resulting from continuous alum dosing of the Utuhina Stream, but there was no evidence of bioaccumulation of aluminium in the tissues of kōura. Alum exposure in these species does not appear to affect their health or abundance in the stream.   iii Overall, continuous alum discharge does not appear to negatively impact the ecology of the lower Utuhina and improvements in the ecological condition of the Utuhina Stream will be achieved by ongoing riparian restoration and mitigation of the impacts of flood flows.

text: Utuhina Stream 2006-2020: In-stream alum dosing effects on fish and aquatic invertebrates This report presents the results of an on-going assessment of the fish and aquatic macroinvertebrate communities of the Utuhina Stream, Lake Rotorua, from 2006 to 2020, and an assessment of the bioavailability of aluminium in fish and kōura to satisfy Bay of Plenty Regional Council’s annual resource consent conditions 9.6, 9.8 and 9.7, respectively, for consent 65321 for the discharge of alum to the Utuhina Stream. Macroinvertebrates, fish and kōura (freshwater crayfish) were sampled from one control and two treatment reaches of the Utuhina Stream annually. Common bully (Gobiomorphus cotidianus) is the dominant species in the fish community of the Utuhina Stream. Kōura (Paranephrops planifrons) and juvenile trout were always present at all sites but variable in abundance. Differences in species abundance from year to year are most likely due to flood-related disturbances to stream bank morphology and in-stream vegetative cover or physical displacement of fish. No obvious effects of alum dosing on stream fish or macroinvertebrate communities were observed between the upstream control site and sites downstream of the alum discharge. Several other fish species were occasionally captured during sampling and the regular occurrence of juvenile koaro from 2016 to 2019 is possible evidence of this taonga species becoming established in the Utuhina. Analysis of stream macroinvertebrates also showed no consistent differences between the upstream control site and the sites downstream of the alum dosing. Overall, all sites were characterised as fair to good quality for a soft-bottomed stream. Some evidence of aluminium bioaccumulation was seen in some tissues of common bully (gills and liver) in some years, resulting from continuous alum dosing of the Utuhina Stream, but there was no evidence of bioaccumulation of aluminium in the tissues of kōura. Alum exposure in these species does not appear to affect their health or abundance in the stream.   iii Overall, continuous alum discharge does not appear to negatively impact the ecology of the lower Utuhina and improvements in the ecological condition of the Utuhina Stream will be achieved by ongoing riparian restoration and mitigation of the impacts of flood flows.

year: 2021-06

title: Influence of open and closed river systems on the migrations of two northern New Zealand populations of banded kokopu (Galaxias fasciatus)

authors: Hicks, Brendan J.

subjects: banded kokopu

abstract: Otolith microchemical analysis by laser ablation inductively coupled mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was used to investigate the migratory life histories of banded kokopu (Galaxias fasciatus) in two streams on the North Island of New Zealand. Known differences in marine and freshwater chemistry were used as a premise to document the migratory life strategies of banded kokopu between these environments. More specifically, temporal trends in high and low strontium/calcium ratios (Sr/Ca) identified in fish otoliths were used to determine evidence of migration between fresh and saltwater environments. Trace element analysis of fish captured above the Whau Valley Reservoir reflected non-migratory life histories and exhibited consistently low Sr/Ca ratios across the entire otolith. However, one fish from above the reservoir indicated unusually high Sr/Ca ratios in early adulthood. These high Sr levels were attributed to localised inputs from mineral-rich seepages associated with past mining practices in the region and low calcium availability within the Pukenui Stream. Otoliths from banded kokopu collected from Komiti Stream were shown to be migratory with a marine larval stage (high Sr/Ca ratio levels at the otolith nucleus), followed by a freshwater adult phase (low Sr/Ca ratio levels towards the edge) indicating their amphidromous origins. The study provides further evidence of non-diadromous recruitment for banded kokopu as a consequence of a large in-stream barrier and will add to the known distribution of landlocked species in New Zealand.

text: Influence of open and closed river systems on the migrations of two northern New Zealand populations of banded kokopu (Galaxias fasciatus) Otolith microchemical analysis by laser ablation inductively coupled mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was used to investigate the migratory life histories of banded kokopu (Galaxias fasciatus) in two streams on the North Island of New Zealand. Known differences in marine and freshwater chemistry were used as a premise to document the migratory life strategies of banded kokopu between these environments. More specifically, temporal trends in high and low strontium/calcium ratios (Sr/Ca) identified in fish otoliths were used to determine evidence of migration between fresh and saltwater environments. Trace element analysis of fish captured above the Whau Valley Reservoir reflected non-migratory life histories and exhibited consistently low Sr/Ca ratios across the entire otolith. However, one fish from above the reservoir indicated unusually high Sr/Ca ratios in early adulthood. These high Sr levels were attributed to localised inputs from mineral-rich seepages associated with past mining practices in the region and low calcium availability within the Pukenui Stream. Otoliths from banded kokopu collected from Komiti Stream were shown to be migratory with a marine larval stage (high Sr/Ca ratio levels at the otolith nucleus), followed by a freshwater adult phase (low Sr/Ca ratio levels towards the edge) indicating their amphidromous origins. The study provides further evidence of non-diadromous recruitment for banded kokopu as a consequence of a large in-stream barrier and will add to the known distribution of landlocked species in New Zealand.

year: 2012