Kaikōura could soon be a World Heritage site.
Te Korowai o te tai ō Marokura, Kaikōura’s coastal guardian, plans to apply to be included in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) World Heritage list.
The announcement follows a bid by the district to seek dark sky sanctuary status from the International Dark-Sky Association.
Chairperson Tā Mark Solomon said Kaikōura is ‘‘an outstanding example’’ of cultural connection with land and sea over 800 years of settlement.
He said Te Tai ō Marokura, the coastal area of Kaikōura, is an integral part of Ngāti Kurī hapū and Ngāi Tahu history and cultural identity.
This connection went back to the tradition of Paikea, the whale rider, an ancestor of Ngāti Kurī.
In recent years the coastline had been preserved through conservation, the study of whales and the development of sustainable tourism, Tā Mark said.
World Heritage status would recognise Kaikōura’s industry, projects, cultures and people, the geology, ecology, biology and astronomy, he said.
Kaikōura boasted nutrient-rich sea canyons with one of the world’s largest diversity of marine mammals in one place.
The coastline is also renowned for its endemic bird species, including the Hutton’s shearwater, and for seafood including crayfish.
Tā Mark said the Kaikōura region was favoured by Māori because of its abundant mahinga kai (food gathering resources).
The sea provided kaimoana (sea food), rivers gave freshwater fish and tuna (eels), and the land was plentiful in plants and bird life.
Extensive gardens and the cultivation of kumara, aruhe (fernroot), tī kouka (cabbage trees) and karaka were also established.
Te Korowai secretary Gina Solomon said World Heritage status would also recognise the district’s agricultural history.
‘‘From the kumara gardens through to the regenerative farming and wetlands development of today is a part of its heritage.
‘‘What better marketing tool is there than stating that this lamb, beef, milk, wool, fish, honey, wine, or gin came from a World Heritage listed area?’’
The Kaikōura sea canyon and mountains were recognised as having ‘‘strong potential’’ in the 2006 by the New Zealand World Heritage committee.
But it was not pursued due a lack of marine and coastal protected areas, a lack of protected lowlands linking coastal areas to the Seaward Kaikōura ranges and fragmented nature of marine planning and management.
Since then Te Korowai o te tai ō Marokura has been established, bringing together fishers, tourist operators, environmentalists, iwi and government agencies.
Te Korowai was instrumental in establishing the Kaikōura Marine Strategy in 2012, which led to the Kaikōura (Te Tai o Marokura) Marine Management Act which passed in 2014.
The Act established the Kaikōura Marine Area, the Hikurangi marine reserve, a whale sanctuary, a fur seal sanctuary, five mātaitai reserves and Taiāpure-local fisheries.
Since the 2016 Waiau earthquake, cultural artworks have been installed along State Highway 1 and work is progressing on a great walk and the Whale trail cycleway.
New Zealand currently has three world heritage areas: Te Wāhipounamu – South West New Zealand; Tongariro National Park; and the Subantarctic islands of Aotearoa.
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air
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