Feeding communities with previously unwanted Kai Moana.

Hours of volunteer
effort

837

Kilograms of parts fish repurposed

20086

Pick ups

310

LegaSea, the Outboard Boating Club of Auckland (OBC), the Z Pier Charter Fleet at Westhaven Marina and Papatuanuku Kokiri Marae have teamed up to develop the Kai Ika Project.

The project utilises fish heads, frames and offal which were previously going to waste. Since September 2016 over 23,000 kg of previously discarded fish parts have been collected from the OBC by Papatuanuku Kokiri Marae whanau and redistributed to families and community groups in South Auckland who value these fish parts and enjoy their sweet flesh.

In te reo, the head of the fish is called rangatira kai or ‘chiefs food’ and is considered a real delicacy. Every year tonnes of fish heads, frames and offal are discarded every year while others in our community would love to eat these tasty morsels.

Today the OBC members and the Z Pier charter fleet sort and process these previously unwanted fish parts. Papatuanuku Kokiri Marae whanau collect and distribute the heads and frames to an appreciative local community. The offal is used as fertiliser in the marae gardens where kumara is also grown for distribution.

On average, only 30% of the fish – the fillets, are consumed. The remaining 70% of the fish, the heads, frames and offal are discarded. Currently, this prized rangatira kai is entering various waste streams or is dumped throughout Tāmaki Makaurau. It is clear our fisheries resources are not being utilised effectively. Our natural resources are not being treated with enough respect.

Winner of the New Zealand Initiative Business award 2018

Our Mission

We spend an enormous amount of time and resources producing/harvesting food. Yet around one-third of the food produced does not end up being consumed.

The majority of this ends up in landfills, where it breaks down without oxygen and releases harmful greenhouse gases like methane that contribute to global warming. It’s not just the food being wasted, we are throwing away all of the resources which were invested to produce it – oil, water, and labour are all being wasted. Our population continues to increase and our planet is fragile. We simply cannot afford to continue behaving like this.

At the same time, a recent survey found one in six Kiwis ran out of money for food. We have one of the worst food poverty problems in the developed world.

The Kai Ika Project aims to:

Decrease waste going to landfill. Prevent the tonnes of natural resource entering general waste streams by increasing the recovery of fish parts fit for consumption.
Minimise people’s impact on the marine environment. The Kai Ika Project helps address the reality that New Zealand’s fisheries are being depleted faster than they can rebuild.
Generate meaningful employment. Through the repurposing of organic waste we are now generating employment opportunities. Refer to the proposal submitted to the Outboard Boating Club (OBC) of Auckland to provide fish filleting services this summer. These work opportunities will allow others in our community to grow themselves, to provide for their families, and improve their food hygiene and handling experience.
Increase social, economic and cultural benefits. Foster community engagement and project support.
Encourage community participation and celebrate cultural diversity through the distribution of this nutrient-rich food source.
Facilitate conservation and provide a social framework to create relationships and link otherwise disparate sections of our community.
Increase multi-industry / industrial ecosystem networks. Convert waste from one part of the community into nourishment for others, and fertiliser to feed Papatuanuku [Mother Earth].
Educate. Improve public awareness about the need to minimise waste and how we can collectively make a positive impact by adjusting our consumption behaviours.

Finally, as well as kaitiakitanga [guardianship], this project promotes manaakitanga. It shows how a simple adjustment in our community’s behaviour is having a positive impact on many families as well as the environment – building unity through humility and generosity.

Get involved

Keen to be part of the kaupapa [programme]? As demand increases so does the pressure on our resources. We have two main constraints:

Time, driven predominantly by volunteers, time is always in short supply. Many hands make light work so if you would like to help we can always use backup drivers or helpers in the whare kai [kitchen] at the Marae.

Volunteer

Costs, demand continues to outstrip supply. As we grow, it’s getting more and more expensive to operate. Cost such as fuel, insurance, electricity and storage all increase exponentially as well. We want to do more and a little koha [donation] will go a long way.