From the arrival of Maori in Aotearoa to the present day, kaimoana has always been integral to Maori identity – a vital source of sustenance and mana for hapu and iwi, shaping the Maori economy and culture.
Mana Moana chronicles Maori fisheries in Aotearoa, linking ancient purakau of Polynesian navigators to contemporary issues of sustainability and economic development. It introduces readers to pre-colonial fishing methods, inter-tribal trade routes, and accounts from early European explorers who marvelled at Maori fishing prowess, and then moves on to detail the enduring struggle for Maori fishing rights, the 1992 Treaty of Waitangi Fisheries Settlement, and the creation of Aotearoa Fisheries Limited, now Moana New Zealand. Owned by fifty-eight iwi shareholders, Moana New Zealand is a unique business guided by te ao Maori values and committed to both commercial success and sustainability.
Weaving together history, matauranga, business, and politics, Mana Moana offers readers deep insight into Maori fisheries and the realisation of mana Maori within a large-scale commercial enterprise.