Kete in conservation
Weaving together western and Māori knowledge
Nestled in specially designed kete/baskets made from harakeke/flax, 150 kākahi/freshwater mussels recently made their way to their new home in Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne.
In this latest wildlife translocation, the second of its kind, Māori and western science combined to create the best handling method for the rare freshwater creatures.
Tangata whenua traditionally used a kete with sphagnum moss insulation to translocate aquatic animals to new environments as part of ahumoana twahito/ancient aquaculture.
The western or modern approach has been to use plastic buckets filled with water and a bubbler.
Based on trials by PhD student and Riverscapes ecologist Amber McEwan during the first kākahi translocation in 2018, a hybrid approach of a kete within a bucket with a bubbler was determined to be the best method.
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The kete in this translocation were extra special as they were custom woven just for the kākahi, by the talented members of te Roopu Rāranga o Manaia, a group that is supported by the Wellington Tenths Trust and works out by Hīkoikoi Reserve in Petone.
Each kete were designed to fit into the buckets as well as have a loose weave to allow for water flow and aeration of the kākahi. Each kete was woven to fit about 30 kākahi, with a smooth inside so the mussels wouldn’t get caught up on anything. They even have a strap so kākahi collectors could more easily wear them as they shuffled around the roto/lake, bending down to pick up the mussels!
These kete are woven in the style of waikawa, which involves using the whole rau/leaf of harakeke. The bottom of the harakeke is quite thick, and these come together to form a sturdy, flat square base. Impressively, the same rau/leaf is used in both the body of the kete as well braided through the top. The raw harakeke eventually hardens so it’s almost like wood – the weavers assured us that these kete were very sturdy so not to worry about loading them up!
The kākahi have been rehomed in Roto Māhanga/upper reservoir to increase genetic diversity and breeding success of the existing kākahi population.
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