Our kōura superhero, Dr Ian Kusabs, was invited to provide a plenary lecture at the 2023 Māori Freshwater Fisheries Conference in Wakatū/Nelson on 16-17 November.
Ian presented on the use of a traditional Māori harvesting method, the tau kōura, for monitoring kōura in New Zealand lakes and streams. The tau kōura are regularly used by Te Arawa Lakes Trust to monitor kōura populations and Ian showed how numbers of kōura have plummeted in Lake Rotoiti since the arrival of bullhead catfish. The tau kōura are a key staple in Ian’s toolkit that he is using to assess the success of kōura habitat restoration options as part of the Fish Futures research programme.
Fish Futures is a proud sponsor of the Māori Freshwater Fisheries Conference, providing funds to support kaitiaki attend this mātauranga sharing event.