Can customary harvesting of NZ’s native species be sustainable? Archaeology and palaeo-ecology provide some answers

Recent proposals would allow Māori to resume traditional harvesting practices (mahinga kai) on conservation land.

Aotearoa’s wilderness areas are the jewel in our ecotourism crown.

But conservation laws may soon be in for a radical shake-up.

Recent proposals would, among other things, allow Māori to resume traditional harvesting practices (mahinga kai) on conservation land.

This has elicited heated emotions from some conservationists, who fear that biodiversity protection will be compromised, as well as from proponents of mahinga kai, who have been alienated from their traditional lands and customs for more than 130 years.

Article Two of Te Tiriti o Waitangi guaranteed Māori authority over natural resources. But, with government-administered and legally enforced “no take” policies covering most conservation land and native species, it is little wonder that many Māori feel alienated from their traditional lands and practices.

Article Four of the Conservation Act 1987 states the government must give effect to the principles of Te Tiriti.

In 2022, in response to these disparities, the Department of Conservation released a report calling for an overhaul of Aotearoa’s conservation laws to have Māori at their heart.