Measures taken to protect treasured pounamu

Measures taken to protect treasured Ngāi Tahu resource

Police today executed search warrants at commercial pounamu retail and manufacturing outlets at Hokitika where a substantial quantity of the unique variety of “snowflake” pounamu or greenstone was seized.

This pounamu originated on the Cascade Plateau in South Westland and is of the same variety of pounamu that was the subject of successful Police prosecutions in 2005 and 2007 for the theft of it. No mining licences were ever issued by the Crown and no authority has ever been issued by Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu to remove and sell this pounamu.

Police and Te Runanga o Ngäi Tahu believe there is a very substantial quantity of this stolen pounamu outstanding and that it is being slowly fed back into the market. Regardless of who currently possesses it, Police and Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu believe this pounamu remains the property of Te Runanga o Ngäi Tahu.

Pounamu is valued by Ngāi Tahu for much more than its economic worth. For hundreds of years it has been used to make tools, weapons and adornments and is regarded as having significant lifeforce or mana.

“People need to help us support the legal and sustainable sale of pounamu so that we can ensure this precious resource is still here in the future. Only this way can we guarantee the long-term viability of the pounamu industry and its worth to the local economy,” says Ngāi Tahu Kaiwhakahaere Mark Solomon.

“This action today is part of continued legal efforts to ensure the trade in pounamu is legally and sustainably managed. Ngāi Tahu will continue to work closely with police to ensure illegal trade in pounamu declines and eventually halts.”

Background:

As part of its settlement the Crown awarded Ngäi Tahu ownership and management of most of the pounamu in its rohe. This was formalised in the Ngäi Tahu (Pounamu Vesting) Act 1997.

Three people have been successfully prosecuted for the theft of pounamu from the Cascade Plateau. Harvey Andrew Hutton, helicopter operator, was successfully prosecuted for pounamu theft following a trial at the Dunedin District Court in August 2005.

In 2007, David Anthony Saxton and Morgan David Saxton (Morgan now deceased) were found guilty of stealing pounamu from the Cascade Plateau, South Westland. Their convictions were later upheld by the Court of Appeal.

Ngāi Tahu has finalised work on an authentication and traceability system for pounamu. This system is currently being piloted.

ENDS

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