Supplied Content
Wellington, March 6, 2017
Fisheries officers are appealing to the public to ensure that they are up to speed with the rules around collecting toheroa now that the rare shellfish are making a comeback to 90 Mile Beach.
Ministry for Primary Industries spokesman Steve Rudsdale said that the beach has been empty of toheroa for many years and it is great to see juvenile toheroa making a comeback and beginning to recover.
However, their survival will be threatened if people do not leave them alone. There is a ban on collecting these shellfish for a very good reason, he said.
Mr Rudsdale said that the toheroa fishery was closed across the country in 1982 after a massive reduction in numbers and that their existence remains fragile and they cannot be disturbed.
Toheroa-Tuatua comparison
“One of the difficulties is that toheroa look very similar to tuatua. Tuatua are much more prolific than toheroa and are not subject to the same gathering ban. Toheroa shells are more brittle and slightly rounder than tuatua and have a slight lump at the base. Tuatua shells are slightly glossy compared to toheroa and have a square, flat base. A simple test is to sit the shellfish on its base on the sand with the sharp end standing up. A tuatua should stay standing, balanced on the flat base while the toheroa should fall over. The two species can be the same size and colour depending on their age but toheroa will eventually grow twice as big as tuatua and have a darker shell,” he said.
Cultural significance
Mr Rudsdale said that toheroa have a major cultural significance as well and it would be a great pity to see their recovery fail because of people’s greed or the fact that people are unaware of the rules.
“The only exception to collecting toheroa is a customary fishing permit. If you are caught with or have disturbed up to 50 toheroa, you face a $500 infringement fine. If you are caught with more than 50 toheroa, you face prosecution and a maximum fine of $20,000. Fisheries officers and honorary fisheries officers will be out and about on the beach letting gatherers know about the issue and how they can tell the difference between tuatua and toheroa. It is important that people know the difference. We will be using some discretion, but will not tolerate people deliberately or repeatedly taking toheroa,” he said.
Mr Rudsdale has requested people visiting 90 Mile Beach to care of the toheora and to report anyone disturbing or taking them to 0800-476224.
*
