Evidence HT Elkington - Environmental Protection Authority

Position of Ngati Koata
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Ngati Koata is opposed to the establishment of such a large number
of salmon farms due to the cumulative effect they will have on the
moana, the mauri of the moana and all of the other taonga within the
area.
There are taonga that we as kaitiaki must protect. The \tVhanau hapu
and iwi are first and foremonst in the list of taonga. All of the lka and
manu in the rohe are also taonga. Besides iwi the next most
important taonga are Moana and the \Nhenua.
Ngdti Koata are a seagoing iwi. My family have been associated with
navigation for generations. lt is of upmost importance to be able to
navigate the sea. ln our ancestors days we would travel extensivley
and frequently by waka. Attached to my evidence and marked "1" is a
chart of our waka routes. The propsed farms at Tapipi and Richmond
will interfere with the waka routes and by so doing would impinge on
our mana, our kaitiakitanga and out rangatiratanga.
As A Seaman and mariner interfering with and changing the
navigation routes have major effects on our travel. Even though we
may rely on modern instruments for navigation the old waka routes
are a taonga to us as an iwi.
The area around Write Horse Rock is rich in marine and bird life.
Ngati Koata is very concerned about the contamination of the marine
environment by the salmon farm. ln particular, we are concerned
about the use of artificial feed, the use of chemicals such as copper
as antifoulants, and the deposition of fish faeces, which then impact
on the sea floor and the surrounding marine life.
Ngati Koata is concerned about the artificial feed to be used which is
described as being "sourced from overseas" and which is made up of
"fishmeal, fish oil and some vegetable or poultry protein" as well as
"added vitamins and minerals" (part 6.6 of the application)'