Fisheries Plan for Upper Waikato River 2025

TMTB Fisheries Management Plan for the Upper Waikato River 2025

The Ngāti Tūwharetoa Upper Waikato River Fisheries Plan 2025 is an environmental plan bringing together all of our mātauranga and kōrero tuku iho, including wāhi tapu, wāhi tūpuna, taonga species, and mahinga kai for the Upper Waikato River.

This plan is all about protecting and lifting the health of the Waikato River. It sets out the way Ngāti Tūwharetoa set out to achieve this. The kōrero in this plan will shape and guide legislation, by-laws and district planning that impacts on Te Awa o Waikato.

The area the Fisheries Plan covers is set out in the map below.

The report is broken down into the following sections:

The different legislation, plans and documents that shape this environmental plan. The plan was prepared under the Waikato River Act 2010. The plan means that regional and district councils, DOC, and Fisheries, must take into account the plan when carrying out their work.

NGĀTI TUWHARETOA AND FRESHWATER FISHERIES

Te Awa o Waikato was named by the tūpuna, Ngātoroirangi. This awa tūpuna as we call it, connects us to our ancestors and te ao wairua. It is our responsibility as kaitiaki to protect our awa tūpuna. Our relationship with the awa is summed up by the following vision statements in the Waikato River settlement:

Tooku awa koiora me oona pikonga he kura tangihia o te maataamuri

The river of life, each curve more beautiful than the last”

Our vision is for a future where a healthy Waikato River sustains abundant life and prosperous communities who, in turn, are all responsible for restoring and protecting the health and wellbeing of the Waikato River, and all it embraces, for generations to come.

The below graphic depicts all of the Ngāti Tūwharetoa values connected to Te Awa o Waikato.

Wāhi tūpuna

These are places intrinsically connected to our way of life. One such is Otumuheke Stream, an awa te ahi tāmau, a geothermal stream. This is a place for our people to swim, and collect rare native ferns from.

Many of our wāhi tupuna are under threat by development. One of our policies in the plan is to protect these wāhi tūpuna from the likes of subdivisions.

Traditional methods of collecting kai

We have our own unique ways of collecting kai, some of old and some we still maintain today. This plan sets out those ways so we can continue to follow the practices of our tūpuna.

Tuna, kōura and ika were harvested using methods like hīnaki, rau kōura and pā tuna. These mahinga practices are guided by tikanga and an understanding that the awa would continue to provide if it was cared for in return.

The Fisheries Plan sets out how we must ensure mahinga kai practices are recognised as a way of upholding tino rangatiratanga for whānau, hapū and iwi.

SPECIES IN THE UPPER WAIKATO FISHERIES AREA

This records all of the species in the fisheries area, whether they are native or introduced; a pest or food, and where they have been recorded within the Upper Waikato.

Taonga species such as kōaro, tuna and kōura have long sustained our people. Through our relationship to Te Awa o Waikato, these taonga exist within our whakapapa, our history, and our future.

We are intent on protecting the mauri of Te Awa o Waikato so that all our taonga species can thrive. We’ll do this by restoring habitats and strengthening how taonga species are recognised within planning.

ISSUES AND THREATS

There are a number of issues and threats to our taonga species. Some of these are:

Barriers to fulfilling our role as kaitiaki, such as lack of resourcing or legislation
Environmental degradation from the likes of storm water entering waterways, water discharges, agricultural runoff and erosion
Limited public access to our awa due to commercial use and land in private ownership
Compromised kai safety
Lack of protections for wāhi tapu

OBJECTIVES, POLICIES AND METHODS

The Ngāti Tūwharetoa objectives from this plan are:

Exercising tino rangatiratanga as it relates to the Waikato Awa
Protecting the taonga species of the Waikato Awa
Ensuring fuller access to the ancestral waters of the Waikato Awa
Managing, protecting and enhancing customary fishing
Maintaining the relationship between the iwi and the awa

The plan sets out clear policies and methods for achieving these objectives which TMTB have begun to, and will continue to progress.

FAQs
Why do we need a Fisheries Plan for the Upper Waikato River?

The Fisheries Plan is called for under the Waikato River Settlement. It ensures when councils, government agencies and other entities are making development or environmental decisions, they are taking into account Ngāti Tuwharetoa mātauranga, kōrero tuku iho, wāhi tapu, wāhi tūpuna, taonga species, and mahinga kai.

Why is the report being shared now?

The plan was co-drafted with Ngā Kaihautū representatives over the course of 2025 and first shared with the wider iwi at our AGM at the end of that year, including through the AGM report. It has now been published online to make it accessible to everyone.

Why were only some marae involved in the drafting of this plan?

The area that this plan covers is in the northern part of our rohe. We worked closely with Ngā Kaikautū, who are the mandated representatives of our northern marae, to gather their korero and co-draft this plan.

How will this plan change over time?

Like our awa, this is a living document which will continue to evolve and change to meet the changing needs of our environment. As part of the Waikato River settlement, there are also mechanisms in place for this plan to be reviewed regularly.