Okains Bay Seafood pave the way for more sustainable fishing practices
This next journey into pot fishing allows us to walk in the footsteps of our tūpuna, ensuring that the whenua and moana remain protected.
NZTE customer Okains Bay Seafood continues to innovate and evolve their fishing practices with state-of-the-art pot fishing.
The newly employed pot fishing method ensures that tikanga Māori continues to pave the way for more sustainable practices across the seafood industry.
The founder and CEO of the company, Greg Summerton (Rākaihautū, Waitaha, Ngāti Māmoe) explained that the pots are based on traditional Hinaki Waharau, a weaved pot used by Māori for sustainable and controlled harvests of fish.
"Whakapapa and kaitiakitanga are always front of mind for us. Kaimoana is a gift from the sea and it's important we protect and pass it on to future generations. This next journey into pot fishing allows us to walk in the footsteps of our tūpuna, ensuring that the whenua and moana remain protected."
The benefits of modern Hinaki Waharau
Minimal bycatch. The pots are designed specifically to catch the target fish.
The design also ensures sea birds as well as marine mammals are kept safe.
Minimises the disturbance to the ocean floor due to the light weight and compact design.
Fish are kept as fresh as possible, safe from outside elements and brought onboard alive. This results in a less stressed, high-quality fish.
Working closely to support the company, NZTE Customer Manager Hare Pitama has been impressed with their commitment to sustainability.
"Greg and the team are really walking the talk when it comes to sustainable practices. It's great to see that a business genuinely focused on being the best kaitiaki of whenua and moana, has proven it's also commercially beneficial, signalling to other businesses that it pays to be sustainable."
We're proud to support a Māori business committed to preserving traditional practices, while also innovating and looking to take on the global market.
