FUNCIONES QUE REALIZAN LOS EPITELIOS

As part of this doctoral research programme an assessment of the informational needs of Whakaki Lake Trust was undertaken and this involved an evaluation of the use of scientific and technical information by the Trust. Scientific and technical information was used by the Trust in a number of ways: to compel external agencies to support the hapū enhancement agenda; to access research funds; to inform customary harvesting practices; to identify and prioritise enhancement activities; and, to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the condition of the lake property and the environmental pressures affecting that condition (Forster, 2009a).

Scientific and technical information collated by the PCE (1993a; 1993b) was used by the Trust to provide an indication of the extent of the environmental problems at the lake and to determine responsibility. This data was used to lobby for support from local authorities towards the hapū-based restoration and enhancement agenda

Environmental and technical data has been useful for supporting funding applications for enhancement activities and research as applications need to be written in a language and a style that funding agencies can recognise. This often requires the use of scientific evidence produced by experts that can be recognised by the funding reviewer. In the Trust‘s experience applications based only on local customary knowledge have met with limited success (Forster, 2009a).

One of the core functions of the Whakaki Lake Trust is the management of wildfowl stocks (Māori Land Court, 2005). This includes the issuing of shooting permits and control of entry to the property and regulation relating to shooting activities on the lake. Permit numbers are determined by the local Forest and Bird annual bird population surveys.

Reports from the Department of Conservation (M. Smith, 1997; M. Smith & Hobson, 2001) and the Hawke‘s Bay Regional Council (Dickson, 2006) have identified potential activities that would be useful for protection and enhancement of the lake property. This information has been useful for indicating areas where local government can contribute to the enhancement programme (Forster, 2009a, 2009b, 2009c).

Several reports on ecological condition and trend of Whakaki Lake have been useful for establishing an environmental baseline (de Winton & Champion, 2008; Environmental Management Group, 2006; Ngā Whenua Rāhui, 2005; Palmer & Whakaki Lake Trust, 2008a, 2008b; Walls, 2000a, 2000b, 2002,

2004). This type of information has indicated that the ecological condition of the lake has improved since the Trust‘s enhancement programme was initiated and has been used to identify new environmental priorities and research opportunities.

While the active kaitiaki involved in this study also reported that access to scientific and technical information was critical for advancing the enhancement it is important to note that the Whakaki situation is atypical in the sense that a considerable amount of research, particularly by external agencies, has been carried out over a long period of time on Whakaki Lake. As a consequence there is an extensive range of documented information related to Whakaki Lake. This is not always the case in other areas. With regard to Whakaki Lake, information is readily available on the history of land use and management of catchment area by local Māori and a succession of government agencies. There is documentation related to the cultural importance of the lake and surrounding area and a small amount of local mātauranga related to the lake and associated natural resources. There are several environmental and technical reports related to the Lake‘s geology, water quality, ecological condition and assessments of local plant, bird, fish and macro invertebrate populations. Most of the information available is of an environmental or technical nature. There are only snippets of information about the lake from the local perspective as this type of information resides within the collective consciousness rather than the public written archive (Forster, 2009a, 2009b, 2009c). Information related to the Whakaki Lake Trust enhancement programme is not readily accessible as it too resides within people‘s lived experiences, Trust documents and confidential reports so the publically available archive is not a good reflection of knowledge related to Whakaki Lake (Forster, 2009a, 2009b, 2009c).

Use of external data sources is dependent on the needs and priorities of the Trust. If the data does not align with the Trust‘s priorities or informational needs then it is unlikely to be accessed and utilised. Usefulness of data can also be limited by the technical nature of the information. Documents that are long and highly technical are more likely to be filed away rather than reviewed and integrated into the operational practice of the Trust (Forster, 2009a, 2009b, 2009c). This does not mean that the information is irrelevant rather that it is inaccessible as the authors are not experienced at preparation of documents for non-scientific audiences. A large proportion of the reports that the Trust has in its possession are of a technical nature and are difficult to decipher and integrate into the Trust‘s operational practices. As a result very few of the reports have been useful for informing resource management decision-making.

To summarise scientific and technical information developed predominantly by external agencies related to Whakaki Lake has been used in a number of ways. These types of information have been useful for lobbying support for the enhancement agenda (Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, 1993a, 1993b) or in securing funds for the enhancement programme or research projects (Forster, 2009b). Some of the information has been used to inform the Trust‘s resource management practices. The data has also been useful in establishing a baseline and assess changes to ecological condition of the Lake and associated natural resources (Forster, 2009b).

There are however, still a number of areas where additional information would be useful and assist the Trust to make more informed and effective

resource management decisions. The Trust vision statement does identify specific areas for further research including catchment management, sand dune restoration, pest control and enhancement of Whakaki fishery and bird populations (Whakaki Lake Trust, 2008). However research into these issues is dependent on securing external funding and in some cases the development of research partnerships. The Trust has also developed research proposals with scientific specialists demonstrating a willingness to work with agents of science to progress the enhancement agenda.

The value of working with external agencies to provide access to funding for scientific activities and access to technical and scientific skills is recognised by all of the active kaitiaki interviewed in this study. As a result active kaitiaki emphasised the need to actively seek and develop relationships with agents of science even though these types of relationships are often contentious:

hey guys we need a hand, lets all meet up and try and do this together and work collaboratively. But the reality at that time was that everyone was not sure how to talk to each other and that was a common situation. (CS06/2847)

The active kaitiaki involved in this study recognise that scientific and technical knowledge can complement mātauranga Māori and assist hapū to resolve some of the complex ecological problems that are present in fragmented and highly modified landscapes.