National Īnanga Spawning Programme

Protecting and restoring īnanga spawning habitats

The National Īnanga Spawning Programme (NĪSP) and the Northland Īnanga Spawning Habitat Restoration Project (NĪSHRP) aim to protect and restore īnanga (whitebait) spawning habitats across Aotearoa. NĪSP coordinates national efforts, monitoring and managing key sites, while NĪSHRP focuses on habitat restoration in Northland, working with communities to enhance spawning success and safeguard this taonga species.

Key activities

Spawning Site Surveys – Identifying and mapping īnanga spawning habitats across Aotearoa.
Habitat Monitoring – Regularly checking conditions like vegetation, salinity, and tidal patterns to assess spawning success.
Community and Iwi Engagement – Working with local communities, hapū, and iwi to protect and manage spawning sites.
Data Collection and Reporting – Gathering data on spawning activity, threats, and habitat changes to inform management.
Habitat Restoration Projects – Enhancing or restoring degraded spawning areas by improving riparian vegetation and stream access.
Training and Capacity Building – Providing tools and knowledge to community members, researchers, and councils for ongoing monitoring.
National Coordination and Support – Connecting regional efforts, sharing resources, and maintaining a central database for spawning sites.

Impact

History

The main reason behind this project sprang from the observation that students and community members around New Zealand seemed to have a growing awareness of issues with their local waterways, but weren’t often involved in the practical science that identifies, quantifies and remedies these issues. We saw that as an opportunity lost — to engage the community in meaningful field work and involve them in the restoration planning and action.

The result would be a more connected, aware and engaged public, improved whitebait spawning habitats and site data, improved water quality and biodiversity corridors, and comprehensive new resources for iwi, educators, schools, community groups, kura Māori and early childhood centres.

We delivered our pilot project in 2016, and the response and demand for mentoring and supporting other groups demonstrated the need for this type of work. In an ideal world, we could be mentoring and guiding groups through this whole process, but acknowledge that we (and similar organisations) cannot be everywhere all the time. If we can develop resources that meet the needs of these groups, we can ensure long-term viability across a broader spectrum of community, especially those that are hard to reach and often not involved in science and technology.

This is an innovative project that uses best practice, ground-breaking scientific techniques that are sure to excite and engage groups with fewer opportunities in science and technology. The scope of the project broadens participant's abilities to engage with science and technology, at both a local and national level, thus promoting the relevance of it within their lives and other's. This empowers them to take part in the societal debates around freshwater management issues that New Zealanders face, as well as directly taking action by getting involved in the technological methods to mitigate these issues.

The development of this resource has involved expert training sessions and collaborative input from īnanga spawning site experts such as Dr. Michael Hickford, Kim Jones and EOS Ecology.