naturally west with fiona drummond
Kōura, our freshwater crayfish In New Zealand we have two species of endemic freshwater crayfish, and the Waitākeres are home to the Northern Kōura (Paranephrops planifrons), the smaller of the two species at just 7cm in length. This common species has a wide range from coastal to subalpine and everywhere in between, living in freshwater lakes, streams, rivers and swamps throughout the North Island, in Nelson, Marlborough and the West Coast of the South Island. They have aquatic predators such as eels, perch, catfish and trout as well as terrestrial predators including rats, kingfishers, shags, stoats and kiwi. Large kōura may also eat their juveniles. Freshwater crayfish have a declining population due to overharvesting, habitat destruction and predation. Despite being a threatened species with populations in gradual decline, there is no permit required to catch them, and up to 50 can be taken per person, except in the Taupō region. Kōura are farmed commercially, and these crayfish are much larger, reaching 12 to 15cm in length. In Naseby, in Central Otago, forestry company Ernslaw One had the novel idea of farming them in the fire ponds of their South Island forests. They have long been a food delicacy for Māori, and are still caught and regarded as a customary food. Tau kōura was the favourite traditional fishing method for harvesting lake kōura by Te Arawa/Ngati Tuwharetoa. This involved resting bundles of bracken fern fronds on the lake bed for kōura to take refuge in and then lifting the fern bundles onto a net of woven flax (kōrapa) to prevent the kōura escaping as they were lifted out of the water. The tau kōura fishing method, using modern materials, has proved very useful in the present day for monitoring kōura populations in lakes for assessing sustainable harvesting levels and other resource management decisions. Kōura are nocturnal, moving into shallower waters at night and hiding under rocks and vegetation to avoid detection in daytime, though they are masters of camouflage. When ponds or wetlands dry up in a drought, they will bury themselves into mud to re-emerge when rain returns. They consume a variety of protein-based foods to aid their growth, >>
The Northern Kōura is one of two endemic freshwater crayfish. Photo by James Cooper.
including aquatic snails and midges and mayflies and even leaves. They are also omnivorous scavengers. Kōura have five pairs of legs, the first pair are also their pincers, used for scavenging food and warding off predators. These can generate a painful nip. The other four pairs of legs are used for most of their movement. When alarmed, kōura will flick their tail violently to propel themselves backward at speed. Though they have swimmerets, these are small and no use for swimming. Fortunately the female kōura is a prolific producer of eggs, carrying 20-200 eggs under the side flaps of her abdomen. This pregnant state is known as being “in berry” and the eggs will take three to four months to hatch. Hatched juvenile kōura cling to their mother’s abdomen using their pincers until they have attained a length of 4-10mm and it takes around four years for them to reach 2cm and be considered adults. These little crustaceans moult their exoskeleton up to nine times in their first year in order to grow. They then eat the moulted exoskeleton to absorb the calcium needed to harden their new shell. While their new shell grows they are more susceptible to predators. People can help to restore populations of kōura by planting native vegetation along the edge of streams and lakes, as kōura play their part in cleaning up our streams and lakes by the recycling they do through their scavenging behaviour. And how about an exciting nocturnal outing with your children and a torch to your local stream to search for kōura, but please remember, just enjoy them in the wild, and leave them be.
Community kindness growing and prospering, Continued from page 24
collected nine tonne of ‘Best by Used Date” food and delivered it to a pātaka. He made two trips to South Auckland on Christmas Eve and regularly goes to Silverdale to pick up animal food that is also destined for the landfill unless collected. “We have a host who collects fruit and vegetables destined for landfill and every day of the week our hosts collect food from local bakeries. This too would be destined for piggeries or landfill, but instead provides food for our local community.” Heather says recycling food destined for landfill is hugely important but the movement’s resources are limited and the cost of petrol to get to and from food collection points is an ongoing problem. “Often the food to be rescued is not in West Auckland. One of our main sources is a community house in South Auckland which is connected to supermarkets and similar and which can access large quantities of food approaching its use-by date. It’s perfectly fine to eat. “We can’t plan for that. We’ll get a message and we need to move quickly. The donations are shared throughout the region, as far south as Hamilton. That’s how we came to get the Christmas hams along with boxes of vegetables and salads that wouldn’t last over the holiday.” While Heather worries that things will get worse, “the feeling of community kindness is a feeling which we continue to see grow and prosper” and she celebrates the buy-in to the project from businesses (big and small), schools, day care centres, community groups, cafés, and fruit and vegetable shops across the area. Heather says a number of those helped when they were in a tight
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spot, now donate to the pātaka when they are able. There are pātaka kai at 14 Vardon Road, Green Bay; 2 Seabrook Ave, New Lynn; St Dominic’s Church, Bolton Street, Blockhouse Bay; Busby St, Blockhouse Bay; St Jude’s Church, Avondale; Holly St, Avondale; Victor St,Avondale; 46 Seymour Road; 53 Captain Scott Road; 27 Clayburn Road; 28 Aquarius Ave; Prospect School, Rosier Road; 375 Henderson Valley Road; 11 Finlow Drive; and 45 Routley Drive (bathroom items only). For more information: call Heather on 027 699 5480 or email heathertanguay@slingshot.co.nz . – Moira Kennedy
Food stuffs once destined for landfill but diverted to local pātaka.
The Fringe MARCH 2020
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