Iwi hope a rāhui placed on the water at Northland’s Waipoua in an attempt to do what
Covid-19 alert level 4 restrictions have not – stop people
heading to the coast.
The
rāhui, or ritual prohibition, was placed
near Waipoua River by Te Roroa on Thursday after a man died while diving for seafood.
Police said the 63-year-old man entered the sea
near Waipoua, on the west coast of Northland on Wednesday afternoon and failed to return.
A police spokesman said the man was found unresponsive later that evening on the shore.
Te Roroa’s general manager Tāoho Tāne, also known as Snow, said the iwi wanted locals to stay at home during the coronavirus lockdown, but was aware people were gathering
kaimoana (seafood).
“Because it’s an isolated community out here – getting to the nearest centre at Dargaville is over an hour away – it’s very difficult for them. To supplement the food larder, they’ve always used the coast – whether it’s fishing, diving or collecting shellfish.”
However, Tāne said the man who died was not a local and had come from Hokianga.
Confusion reigns over
fishing during lockdown, but Te Roroa discourages it and has locked its gates in Waipoua Forest where roads led to the coast, he said.
“There’s a risk if anything happens at the beach, if you get into difficulties, it’s going to be very hard for emergency services.”
Te Roroa's team is
normally first responders to any emergency, but many were at home and those still working were busy providing support services and food parcels to those in need, Tāne said.
The iwi had been planning to run checkpoints to stop people getting to the coast, before Wednesday’s death, but only received correct PPE (personal protective equipment) on Thursday, he said.
Tāne hoped people will respect the rāhui, which covers the area from Waipoua River mouth north to Ohae for three days.
“We hope that the rāhui deters people from coming to the beach, because the level 4 lockdown hasn’t.”
The man’s death will be referred to the coroner.
