From the arrival of Māori in Aotearoa to the present day, kaimoana has always been integral to Māori identity – a vital source of sustenance and mana for hapū and iwi, shaping the Māori economy and culture.
Mana Moana chronicles Māori fisheries in Aotearoa, linking ancient pūrākau 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 Māori fishing prowess, and then moves on to detail the enduring struggle for Māori 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 Māori values and committed to both commercial success and sustainability.
Weaving together history, mātauranga, business, and politics, Mana Moana offers readers deep insight into Māori fisheries and the realisation of mana Māori within a large-scale commercial enterprise.