Providing the voice for kanakana –assisting with storytelling and being part of the restoration journey for this taonga species

Intern

Ariana Drabble, Te Arawa, Tainui, University of Otago 

Supervisor

Dr Jane Kitson, New Zealand's Biological Heritage National Science Challenge

Overview

This internship project is a part of the Biological Heritage National Science – Freshwater for our Taonga project. 

The project is about the kanakana/piharau/pouched lamprey, a struggling fish species in New Zealand. It is a threatened species whose population is on the decline due to decline in river water quality, industrialisation, and river alteration. 

The internship dissects the reasons for the decline, and analyses the conservation efforts. A narrative was produced using this information, so that it can be used as a tool to educate people on this freshwater taonga species and its cultural significance.