A hāpu-led biosecurity response framework has been implemented in Northland, after hundreds from a Te Tai Tokerau hāpu mobilised when tonnes of an invasive seaweed, exotic caulerpa, washed up on Bay of Islands beaches.
The mobilisation helped kick start ‘Te Tira Taiao o Te Tai Tokerau’, with it bringing together hapū, Northland Regional Council (NRC) and the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) to respond quickly and effectively to emerging biosecurity threats.
“This network isn’t something new - it’s whakapapa, it’s whanaungatanga and it’s been stood up because of the condition of our taiao,” said Te Tira Taiao o Te Tai Tokerau lead, Nyze Manuel.
“It’s a model based on hapū concern. We’ve been working in what people might call ‘underground’, but really we were just doing what our tūpuna have always done ki mai rānō - noticing changes in our taiao and discussing our concerns collectively.
“What’s different now is that this way of working is being formally recognised and supported by councils and other agencies.”
Education is the foundation of the new biosecurity framework, with a strong focus on normalising conversations so communities understand what to look for, why it matters, and how to respond.
With gaps seen by hāpu and council last year when the exotic caulerpa washed up to the shores, having been fixed with signage.
NRC Deputy Chair Jack Craw says it’s strengthening early detection by increasing the number of trusted ‘eyes on the water’, particularly in remote coastal areas.
“It reflects the reality that locals are often the first to notice change.
“People who’ve dived, fished or gathered kai in the same places their whole lives will notice something different straight away. That local knowledge has already been critical in identifying exotic caulerpa early in places like Aotea and the Bay of Islands,” said Craw.
The framework acknowledges that biosecurity threats affect not just the environment and economy, but also cultural identity, wellbeing and the ability of hapū and iwi to protect whakapapa and pass on practices tied to the whenua and moana.
The project is backed by MPI funding, with NRC focused on supporting and resourcing community-led action.
