Don’t Forget our Whanau

Tuesday 11 October 2011
Press release: Ngai Te Rangi Fisheries Ltd

While there is no doubt the hundreds of tonnes of oil that has leaked from the Rena will affect the iwi’s $11 million commercial fishing business in Tauranga, this is not the primary concern for Ngai Te Rangi Fisheries’ chairman, Maru Samuels.

Mr Samuels said the priority is assessing the impact the leaked oil and toxic dispersant, Corexit 9500, will have on our whanau (families), primarily those living on the islands of Motiti and Matakana that eat kaimoana (seafood and shellfish) as part of their daily diet, and ensuring they are not forgotten by Maritime New Zealand and the Government.

“These whanau rely on kaimoana like fish, pipi, tuangi (cockles), kutai (mussels), oysters, kina (sea urchin), paua (abalone) and koura (crayfish) as a regular part of their diets. The oil and toxic contaminants will remove food from their dinner tables and these are whanau who are struggling financially already. It’s not like they can just head to their local supermarket to buy food because they don’t have supermarkets on those islands”, he said.

Mr Samuels is also concerned the use of Corexit 9500 may be based on overseas research where communities may not necessarily have eaten much seafood and shellfish.

“Who knows what might be the long-term effect of eating shellfish contaminated with Corexit 9500. Will we see the negative effects in our mokopuna in two or three generations?”

“While our whanau might not live along the Mount and Papamoa beaches, they deserve the same level of support, care and resources”.

Mr Samuels is pleased that iwi representatives are now involved in the cleanup operations but he urged the Government and Maritime New Zealand not to forget the whanau of Matakana and Motiti islands. “Iwi should also be involved in the inquiry into how the Rena crisis happened in the first place”, he said.

ENDS

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