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Ōhiwa Harbour Ōhiwa Harbour

Ohiwa Harbour

Ōhiwa Harbour is situated in the eastern Bay of Plenty. The harbour itself is separated from the Pacific Ocean by a 6km-long sand spit (Ōhope Spit) on the western side of the harbour entrance, and a much smaller spit of approximately 900m (Ōhiwa Spit) to the east.

The harbour covers an area of approximately 26.4 km2, and is relatively shallow, exposing 80 percent of its bed at low tide. However, the main channels provide adequate depth for fishing and recreation.

The Ōhiwa Harbour Catchment drains approximately 171 km2 of small valleys, with the largest being the Nukuhou River Valley, draining 60 percent of the harbour catchment. The catchment generally faces north and has a diversity of land uses, ranging from protection and production forestry, through dry stock and dairy farming, to horticulture and lifestyle blocks. There are 12 small streams and one small river (Nukuhou River) feeding into the harbour from the inland hills towards Matahī, and in the Nukuhou Valley.

Catchment management

Catchment management involves ensuring that land use does not adversely affect the harbour and that the biodiversity and natural qualities are protected.

The health of the Ōhiwa Harbour relies on the health of the estuary, which in turn relies on land management practices within the catchment.

Biodiversity in the harbour is highly valued, particularly the birdlife, native freshwater fish and harbour margin vegetation and habitat.

Some of key challenges for catchment management:

  • Sedimentation, nutrients and general pollutants from land use threaten the health of the harbour.
  • Biodiversity in the harbour is important and needs further protection and restoration.
  • Development and use of the Ōhiwa Harbour needs to be managed appropriately to avoid adverse impacts on the harbour.

Harbour management

The health and ongoing availability of kaimoana in the harbour is of utmost importance to the community, particularly tangata whenua. If the rest of the harbour is healthy and managed appropriately, kaimoana will thrive and this resource needs to be protected to ensure its ongoing availability.

Some of key challenges for harbour management:

  • Kaimoana in the Ōhiwa Harbour is threatened by overfishing, inappropriate gathering methods, starfish predation and changes in the harbour environment, particularly sedimentation. This has led to the disappearance of some species and is threatening those species that remain.
  • Much more needs to be done to raise awareness of the issues, protect the resource and to police the rules and regulations around fishing and shellfish gathering.
  • Ongoing research is necessary to understand the threats to the resource and this should take more of a bicultural focus.

People and communities

The harbour is highly valued for the many recreational opportunities it provides, and there are perhaps more that can be developed, but care must be taken to minimise any conflict or imbalance between various uses and with other harbour values.

There is considerable appetite in the community to be more informed about, and involved with, the science and mātauranga Māori that underpins the protection of the harbour and to be more informed about the human history and natural history of the harbour and its catchment.

Some of key challenges for people and communities in the catchment:

  • There is a desire to utilise kaitiakitanga to assist in achieving sustainable management of Ōhiwa Harbour. This includes an acknowledgement of the non-human kaitiaki (taniwha) already in the harbour
  • Increasing numbers of residents and visitors put pressure on the existing facilities such as jetties, boat ramps, rubbish bins and toilets. These facilities could be improved and other recreational opportunities provided, but in a way that minimises conflict with other values.
  • More information, education and support is needed to improve harbour protection and management. This includes making science accessible to all.
  • More effort needs to be made to involve all sectors of the community (particularly tourism, urban and farming) in looking after the harbour.
  • There are opportunities to promote and support many community groups and initiatives. These include education, research, and work opportunities.

In 2008, Regional Council developed the Ōhiwa Harbour Strategy (OHS), a guiding document, in partnership with the Ōpōtiki and Whakatāne District Councils, Department of Conservation, Whakatohea, Upokorehe, Ngāti Awa and Tūhoe.

The Ōhiwa Harbour Strategy Coordination Group (OHSCG) is made up of representatives from the above organisations. Together they plan and manage mahi that works towards an agreed objective: To maintain and enhance the health and natural qualities of Ōhiwa Harbour.

Below is a summary of action points outlined in the strategy aims, which reflect the challenges identified by the community. For full details, please refer to the Ōhiwa Harbour Strategy.

Catchment management

  • Monitor and assess the health of Ōhiwa Harbour and its catchment.
  • Investigate improving water quality in the catchment.
  • Reduce sedimentation and contamination within the catchment.
  • Encourage the introduction and use of farm stewardship plans.
  • Protect and enhance wetlands, saltmarshes and estuarine margins and explore opportunities to construct new areas.
  • Protect and manage habitat and species.
  • Investigate the presence of indigenous freshwater fish species and habitats and identify opportunities to manage.
  • Investigate the potential impacts of climate change on the Ōhiwa Harbour.
  • Support appropriate regional, district and iwi plan provisions to achieve sustainable management of the Ōhiwa Harbour and catchment.
  • Develop data sets to augment resource management protocols.
  • Support and implement consenting, bylaw and statutory responsibilities.

Harbour management

  • Investigate shellfish populations and advocate for sustainable shellfish management.
  • Investigate wetfish populations and advocate for sustainable fisheries management.
  • Support māhinga mātaitai status for Ōhiwa Harbour.

People and communities

  • Recognise and apply the principles of kaitiakitanga and stewardship in management of the harbour.
  • Retain the Onekawa Te Mawhai Regional Park and manage according to the park management plan.
  • Develop a coordinated approach to public reserves and implement management.
  • Support the implementation of regulations for controlling vehicles on tidal flats and beaches.
  • Support appropriate harbour and catchment research opportunities.
  • Support the work of landowners and community groups.
  • Support the involvement of local people in education initiatives and in the management of the Ōhiwa Harbour and its catchment.
  • Advocate for health and safety within the harbour and its catchment.

Our land management officers work with landowners, iwi, community groups and organisations to support and encourage better land use practices around the rohe.

We may be able to provide funding to help landowners complete works that can improve water quality, as well as land and business productivity.

Improving land management practices is key to ensuring land is being used more productively and sustainably, creating good environmental, economic and social outcomes for all. 

Special interest project: Ōhiwa Harbour Fish Passage

Learn about what we’re doing to understand and support indigenous fish species to thrive in and around the harbour!

We’re identifying what barriers there are in streams and rivers that may be hindering fish migration. Using environmental DNA (eDNA) testing we can pinpoint where and what these indigenous species are. With the help of landowners (at no cost) we’ll use this data to fix any barriers found. Read more in the infographic (click on the image to see a larger version):  

fish passage

News and updates

scientist
A YEAR AGO Project to support Ōhiwa Harbour’s waterways reveals at-risk indigenous fish species

A project to improve connectivity between the waterways around the Ōhiwa Harbour, and increase freshwater fish populations has uncovered the presence of threatened and at-risk indigenous species.  

Read the full media release. 

2 YEARS AGO Kiwi management

The Whakatāne Kiwi Project is enormously successful.

Since 1999, when four breeding pairs were found by the Department of Conservation in the Ohope reserves, more than 300 North Island brown kiwi chicks have been raised in or released to local reserves.

2 YEARS AGO Upokorehe get 'hands on' awith mangroves

The Upokorehe hapū gained resource consent in 2011 to remove outlying mangrove plants and seedlings from the Ōhiwa Harbour.

Upokorehe spokesperson Maui Manuel said: "The work can be challenging in the heat and soft mud, so our team would work very hard for several hours, and then have a great social time and barbeque".

2 YEARS AGO Ngāti Awa Farm land-use change

In recent years, extreme rainfall events have taken their toll on Ngāti Awa Farm, located on the fringes of the Whakatāne and Ōhope urban areas, and the Ōhiwa Harbour.

3 YEARS AGO Great farm management improves Ōhiwa Harbour

Noticing deteriorating water quality in local streams, Nukuhou farmer Norm Craig contacted Bay of Plenty Regional Council for help in 1995. This began a co-operative relationship that has led to the retiring of 10 kilometres of stream edges from cattle grazing and replanting it to filter farm run-off and reduce stream-bank erosion. As a result, multiple wetlands for silt capture and beautification were created.

3 YEARS AGO Nukuhou farmers making a difference: Margaret and Michael Kirk

Farmers like Margaret and Michael Kirk of Fairview Farm in Nukuhou believe they have a 'duty of care' that goes beyond their rights as landowners and extends to being caregivers of the land.

3 YEARS AGO A child’s life on Uretara Island in the 20th century

Leo Ducker was the first pakeha child to be born at Ōhiwa, on 24 June 1906. He was the fifth of seven children, and was born prematurely to his mother, Lily Eyes. His father Frank Ducker was away at sea working as a steward on ships travelling between Auckland and Australia.