Te Runanga o Te Rarawa Trustee Limited Smart Ideas funded projects

Toheroa has a high status and is an exciting and exquisite seafood. This shellfish is unrivalled among Māori people and is considered the food of chiefs. Iwi, hapū and marae have celebrated Toheroa for its unique taste and rare flavour. In Māori history, Toheroa have been served to important guests as something special and a signature dish that can only be found in very few places. In past times, the reputation of Toheroa grew to such heights that it was exported around the world. Today there is a rāhui and taking of Toheroa is prohibited. The purpose of this research proposal is to focus on the regeneration of Toheroa as a sustainable fishery and to offer this unique shellfish experience to the people in Aotearoa and across the world. Our aim is to better understand Toheroa and their habitats to allow them to grow to adult size. This will provide an exciting ‘entrée’ into how and why they exist. Led by mātauranga Māori, and through the old stories and knowledge, we will discover new potential avenues to enhance and enable Toheroa to increase their stock numbers. Toheroa is primarily found along Te Oneroa a Tōhe, on the west coast of the Far North, a District with high levels of socio-economic deprivation. The opportunity of creating a new fishery and a future Toheroa aquaculture industry would develop skills and create local employment (especially for young generations) and a thriving growing economy with the potential of exporting overseas. This proposal endeavors to produce, in the long-term, a reliable and sustainable Toheroa supply with a land-based aquaculture industry from new research developed through technology and innovation while incorporating mātauranga Māori with western science.