Maungaharuru-Tangitu Trust (MTT) in Hawke’s Bay has secured a total of $600,000 in funding to help restore the quality of one of its most treasured tāonga, Lake Tūtira, a lake that is full of dying fish and eels.
Lake Tūtira is a sacred lake to the hapū under the Maungaharuru-Tangitū Trust, but it’s sick.
Shayne Walker says, “It’s extremely concerning with the mate of our tuna and the trout and we’re really keen to understand more of why that is occurring and working closely with regional council to understand that.”
The council believes a lack of oxygen in the lake at this time of the year causes fish to die. But understanding the lake is a complex task.
Walker says, “We have a role as we do with kaitaiakitanga to rectify that and make sure we can restore the mauri of the lake and the tuna, what these hapū were well known for.”
Hapū are committed to cleaning up the lake and dead fish are something they don’t want to see any more.