Traditional
Maori fishing operations were very well organised. Different tribes had their
own fishing areas. Tribal boundaries were marked by landmarks and stakes and
protected against trespassers. Fishing was often a community activity. Tasks
involved everything from observing the movement of schools of fish and making
gear, to catching and processing the fish.
Early Maori
knew a great deal about the life cycles of different fish. A fishing calendar
was developed to work out when certain fish should be caught, what techniques to
use, and whether it should be during the day or night.
Kaimoana was
a very important trading item. Coastal tribes traded it with inland iwi for
goods such as birds, berries or workable stone. In Canterbury, Kaipoihai pa was
a trading pa with eight different gates. It was similar to European trading
sites in the middle ages.When Europeans arrived, Maori started trading with them.
They bartered fish for other goods or sold it for cash. They exported fish to
Australia in the early 19th century.
chiefs100 on 28 May 07A site that focus on the dynamics of gangs, and there membership, and goes inside the gangs
