Te Kūwaha and Māori

Sharing knowledge with Māori communities and empowering Māori business with the latest science.

We are NIWA, Taihoro Nukurangi - Te Reo
Te Kūwaha, NIWA’s National Centre for Māori Environmental Research is a dedicated Māori research team, with a vision to work in partnership with others to enable complementary knowledge systems to support kaitiakitanga and provide environmental research excellence that enhances the social, environmental and economic aspirations of whānau, hapū and iwi, Māori communities and Māori business.

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    Tuna - commercial fisheries

    In export terms, the commercial eel fishery in New Zealand began in earnest in the 1960s and expanded rapidly until the early 1970s, peaking at slightly over 2,000 t (tonnes) in 1972.
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    Impacts of mining

    Impacts of mining on water quality and mahinga kai.
  • Restoration and enhancement of piharau / kanakana / lamprey

    Research Project
    NIWA is leading a new six-year research project that seeks to increase our understanding of piharau/kanakana/lamprey, using Mātauranga Māori, social science and biophysical science approaches.
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    Tuna - recreational fisheries

    The majority of New Zealanders are able to recall a story about catching eels when they were children, to eat from the camp fire or enter into the local pig hunting competition.
  • Tuna information resource

    Tuna, or freshwater eels, are the most widespread freshwater fish in New Zealand. This 'living' educational resource summarises a large amount of scientific and technical literature.
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    Tuna - solutions: upstream passage for elvers at large barriers

    Instream structures such as hydroelectric dams may act as barriers to fish migration, and have the ability to alter the ecological connectivity of freshwater environments.
  • Toolkit development

    A number of individuals, organisations and hapū have contributed to the development of Ngā Waihotanga Iho.
  • Getting started

    Traditionally, tangata whenua have collected information about estuaries to monitor resources, such as kaimoana, and to make decisions about conservation measures, such as rähui. Increasingly, tangata whenua are using scientific tools to help monitor their natural resources and Ngä Waihotanga Iho provides a science perspective for talking about environmental issues and concerns related to estuaries.
  • Ngā repo o Maniapoto - Maniapoto wetland inventory

    Research Project
    Through the Te Wai Māori fund Ngā Repo o Maniapoto is a collaborative project between NIWA and the Maniapoto Māori Trust Board (MMTB) Whanake Taiao team that looks to develop an inventory of repo and puna (springs) for the Maniapoto rohe.
  • Ngā Kete o te Wānanga: Mātauranga, Science and Freshwater Management

    Research Project
    New Zealand’s freshwater and estuarine resources provide significant cultural, economic, social, and environmental benefits. Competition for the use of these resources is intensifying, and many rivers, lakes and estuaries are now degraded.
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    Applying the right tools to restore kōura to lakes and streams

    The tools available for restoring kōura to lakes and streams depend on what is causing kōura to decline.
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    Identifying the problem for kōura

    Identifying the factors causing kōura numbers to decline will allow you to determine which restoration tools you need to employ.