The remarkable story of Māori fishing – from Polynesian navigators to contemporary business.

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.

Authors

Dr Carla Houkamau (Te Whānau o Tūwhakairiora – Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Kere – Ngāti Kahungunu, Kāti Hāteatea ki Moeraki – Kāi Tahu), who has written the English text, is a professor in the Department of Management and International Business, and the deputy dean for the Faculty of Business and Economics, the University of Auckland Waipapa Taumata Rau. Raised in central Hawke’s Bay, Carla grew up in a large whānau of hunters, divers, and fishers. Her academic work includes over eighty publications, spanning journal articles, conference papers, and commissioned reports. Of both Māori and Pākehā descent, Carla has a deep personal interest in the history of Māori–Pākehā relations.

Dr Robert Pouwhare (Ngāi Tūhoe), who has written the reo Māori text, is a professional teaching fellow at the University of Auckland Waipapa Taumata Rau. Robert has spent a lifetime advancing te reo Māori – through his work in Māori television, his PhD dissertation which focuses on ngā pūrākau mō Māui – the Māui narratives, and his role at Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori (the Māori Language Commission), where he trains and certifies translators and interpreters.

Endorsements

‘Mana Moana makes a valuable contribution to the literature on Māori business, spanning from pre-European times, colonial settlement and treaty settlements, through to the post-treaty settlement era. The strengths of the book are its attention to history, tikanga and mātauranga, as well as the activity of fishing among Māori. The book is about the evolution of a Māori fishing enterprise within the context of the Māori political economy and how it has navigated challenges and opportunities in treaty settlements, industry, iwi, and Māori dynamics. A must-read for students, scholars, and practitioners of Indigenous business theory and practice.’
— Jason Mika, University of Waikato

‘Mana Moana navigates the evolution of a vital Māori economic sector, spanning from pre-European contact to the present day. It is a fascinating story about the lattice of Indigenous spiritual traditions, ethical codes, and fisheries management systems that nurtured growth and innovation in the pre-colonial marine economy. The sweeping disruption and dispossession of colonisation unwound this lattice, leading in time to the near collapse of New Zealand’s fisheries. Yet, from this turmoil, a landmark court battle emerged, securing the recognition of rights and sparking the reformation of a new and flourishing Māori economic sector that draws upon its vibrant cultural traditions in its encounter with global markets. The book offers deep insights, illustrated through tangible examples, of how Indigenous economic institutions can be rebuilt to foster successful Indigenous enterprises, driven by Indigenous values, despite the constraints imposed by settler states.’
— John Reid, University of Canterbury