Kaimoana: Māori Seafood, Fishing and the Deep Connection to the Moana

August 12, 2026

More Than Food: Understanding Kaimoana in Māori Culture

For anyone who has grown up around the coast, there is something special about bringing food home from the ocean.

A fish caught from the rocks.

Pāua collected from the reef.

Kina opened beside the water.

Pipi gathered from the sand.

A feed of mussels shared around the table.

These things are about much more than eating.

They connect people to a place.

They connect families to one another.

They connect communities to the ocean.

And for Māori, the relationship with kaimoana reaches back through generations of knowledge, practice and connection with the moana.

Kaimoana literally refers to food from the sea, but understanding its significance requires us to look beyond the seafood itself.

It takes us into mātauranga Māori, whakapapa, tikanga, mahinga kai and kaitiakitanga.

It takes us to waka and traditional fishing.

To shellfish gathered from the coastline.

To knowledge of tides, seasons, moon phases, weather and marine habitats.

And ultimately, to one of the most important principles we've explored throughout The Wai-Tai Journal:

If the moana is to continue feeding us, we have a responsibility to care for it.

What Does Kaimoana Mean?

Kai means food, while moana refers to the ocean or sea.

Together, kaimoana is commonly used for food gathered from the sea.

That can include fish, shellfish, crustaceans and other marine foods.

But kaimoana is also connected to the wider idea of mahinga kai — the gathering and use of traditional food resources.

The Ministry for the Environment's Environment Aotearoa 2025 report makes an important observation: for many Māori, the ability to gather kaimoana is an indicator of the health of the ocean and enables traditional food-gathering practices.

That tells us something important.

If people can still go to the coast and gather healthy seafood, it can be evidence that the ecosystem is functioning.

If the shellfish have disappeared, fish numbers have fallen or the water is polluted, the problem is much bigger than simply losing a meal.

Something in the relationship between people and the environment has been damaged.

Māori and the Ocean

Māori relationships with the ocean began long before the arrival in Aotearoa.

The ancestors of Māori were skilled Pacific voyagers who travelled vast distances across Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa.

They arrived in Aotearoa with knowledge of the sea and adapted that knowledge to an entirely new environment.

Once established here, the ocean became an important source of food and resources.

Te Ara records that Māori developed extensive fishing and food-gathering practices, with fish, shellfish, birds and other resources forming part of a sophisticated food system.

The sea was not simply a place to obtain food.

It was part of the wider environment in which communities lived.

The coastline provided food.

The ocean provided transport.

Waka connected communities.

Rivers and estuaries provided access to inland resources.

And knowledge of the environment helped people determine where, when and how resources could be gathered.

Fishing From Waka

Traditional Māori fishing was closely connected to waka.

Canoes provided access to fishing grounds beyond the shoreline and allowed people to travel between coastal settlements.

Different species required different approaches.

Lines, nets, traps, spears and other methods were used depending upon the target species and environment.

Te Ara's account of traditional Māori fishing describes large fishing expeditions involving substantial numbers of people and waka, demonstrating that fishing could operate at a significant community scale.

Fishing was therefore not always an individual activity.

It could involve groups of people working together.

And the resulting catch could become part of a much larger social system.

The Catch Was Shared

One of the most interesting aspects of traditional fishing is what happened after the fish were caught.

Food was not necessarily simply taken home by the person who caught it.

Fishing could provide for a wider community.

Te Ara records that fish were preserved by drying or steaming, stored and exchanged between groups. Large fishing expeditions could provide enormous quantities of food for gatherings and feasts.

This reminds us that food gathering was connected to social relationships.

A successful fishing trip could contribute to:

whānau

hākari

manaakitanga

trade

exchange

and community wellbeing.

In other words, the value of kaimoana wasn't measured solely by how much someone could personally take home.

Its value also lay in what it could provide for others.

Kaimoana and Manaakitanga

This is an important connection.

Manaakitanga is commonly associated with hospitality, generosity and the care of others.

Food has always been central to hospitality.

A meal can welcome people.

It can strengthen relationships.

It can acknowledge visitors.

It can celebrate an occasion.

And it can demonstrate generosity.

Kaimoana therefore has a role beyond nutrition.

The fish or shellfish gathered from the ocean can become part of a much larger act of sharing.

The ocean provides.

People gather.

Communities share.

Relationships are strengthened.

That cycle is part of the cultural significance of food in Aotearoa.

Shellfish: The Food Beneath Your Feet

Fishing from a waka is only one side of the story.

Some of the most accessible kaimoana has traditionally been found right along the shoreline.

Shellfish gathering was an important part of Māori food gathering.

Te Ara records Māori gathering pipi, tuatua and toheroa from sandy shallows, while mussels, pāua, limpets, kina and seaweed could be collected from rocky areas.

This required knowledge of the coastline.

You needed to know where different species lived.

You needed to understand the tides.

You needed to know when to visit particular areas.

You needed to recognise healthy beds.

And you needed to understand which areas were worth leaving alone.

The beach itself became a source of information.

Reading the Shoreline

Walk along a beach in Aotearoa today and it can be easy to see only sand, rocks and water.

But to someone with deep knowledge of the coast, the shoreline contains clues.

Where are the shellfish beds?

What has the tide exposed?

Where are the rocks covered in mussels?

What species are present?

How has the coastline changed?

What does the season suggest?

What does the moon suggest?

What does the condition of the water tell us?

This is where kaimoana connects beautifully with our previous Wai-Tai Journal articles about maramataka and traditional environmental knowledge.

The more closely you observe the natural world, the more information it gives you.

Maramataka and Kaimoana

The Māori lunar calendar, or maramataka, is closely associated with environmental observation.

Different iwi and hapū have their own maramataka traditions, and it is important not to treat the system as one universal calendar with identical meanings everywhere.

But lunar cycles have traditionally provided a framework for understanding the timing of activities, including food gathering.

This makes sense when you think about the practical realities of working with the ocean.

The moon influences tides.

Tides influence access to beaches, rocks and estuaries.

Seasonal cycles influence marine life.

Weather influences fishing conditions.

And the behaviour of individual species changes throughout the year.

Traditional environmental knowledge therefore wasn't based upon one piece of information.

It was built from many observations working together.

Kaimoana and Mātauranga Māori

This is where the subject becomes particularly interesting.

Traditional food gathering wasn't simply a collection of techniques.

It involved knowledge.

Mātauranga Māori encompasses bodies of knowledge developed and passed down through generations, including knowledge relating to the natural environment.

A fisher with detailed knowledge of their local coastline might understand where particular species are found, how weather affects the water, when certain resources are abundant and which places should be left alone.

This knowledge is practical.

It can determine whether someone comes home with food.

It can also determine whether the resource remains available in the future.

The Ministry for the Environment recognises mātauranga Māori as an important source of understanding about the marine environment alongside scientific knowledge.

That is particularly significant in a changing ocean.

Kaimoana as an Indicator of Ocean Health

Imagine a coastline where generations of people have gathered shellfish.

Over time, they develop a detailed understanding of the resource.

They know where it is found.

They know how abundant it normally is.

They know when it is healthy.

They know what it looks like when something changes.

Now imagine those shellfish becoming increasingly difficult to find.

That change matters.

The Ministry for the Environment specifically identifies the ability to gather kaimoana as an important indicator of marine health for many Māori.

This gives us a very practical way to think about environmental health.

You don't necessarily need a complicated scientific measurement to understand that something is wrong.

Sometimes the environment tells you directly.

The food isn't there anymore.

When Kaimoana Becomes Scarce

There are many reasons why marine resources can decline.

Overharvesting.

Habitat destruction.

Sedimentation.

Pollution.

Changes in water temperature.

Ocean acidification.

Climate change.

Invasive species.

And other pressures associated with human activity.

The Ministry for the Environment's current marine reporting identifies significant pressures on Aotearoa's marine environment from activities on land and at sea, fishing and climate change.

This matters because marine ecosystems are connected.

Damage to a coastal habitat can affect species.

Changes to species can affect food webs.

Changes to food webs can affect fisheries.

And declining fisheries can affect communities.

The disappearance of kaimoana can therefore be a symptom of a much bigger problem.

Kaitiakitanga and Kaimoana

This brings us directly back to the subject of our previous article.

Kaitiakitanga.

If kaimoana is important, then protecting the environment that produces it becomes essential.

That doesn't necessarily mean never taking anything.

Traditional food gathering was based on taking resources.

The key question is how.

How much?

When?

Where?

Using what methods?

And under what circumstances should harvesting stop?

This is where the concept of kaitiakitanga becomes so relevant.

The aim isn't simply to take from the ocean.

It is to maintain a relationship with the ocean that can continue.

Rāhui and Allowing Resources to Recover

One traditional mechanism associated with resource protection is rāhui.

A rāhui can restrict access or the taking of resources from a particular area for a period of time.

It can provide an opportunity for a resource or ecosystem to recover.

The principle is powerful because it requires restraint.

There are times when the correct response to declining abundance isn't to find a more efficient way to take the remaining resource.

It may be to stop taking.

To allow recovery.

To wait.

That idea is highly relevant to the modern discussion about marine sustainability.

Mātaitai: Customary Fisheries Management Today

This isn't simply history.

Contemporary Aotearoa has formal mechanisms that recognise Māori customary relationships with fisheries.

Mātaitai reserves are areas developed and managed by tangata whenua to recognise and provide for the special relationship between tangata whenua and traditional fishing grounds.

Fisheries New Zealand explains that mātaitai reserves generally prohibit commercial fishing and can have bylaws affecting recreational and customary fishing.

There are also taiāpure, which are coastal or estuarine areas of special significance to iwi or hapū for food, spiritual or cultural reasons.

These areas can involve local management and recommendations about fishing rules.

These contemporary systems demonstrate something important:

Māori customary fisheries management is not simply a subject from the past.

It continues to have a place in modern Aotearoa.

Tangata Kaitiaki and Local Knowledge

Within customary fisheries management, tangata kaitiaki or tangata tiaki can have responsibilities for managing customary fishing within their rohe moana.

Fisheries New Zealand explains that tangata kaitiaki/tiaki can authorise customary fishing and are involved in monitoring customary catch within their areas.

This is significant because fisheries management isn't necessarily one-size-fits-all.

A local community may have detailed knowledge of its own coastline.

It may know which areas are particularly important.

It may understand changes that aren't immediately obvious from a national dataset.

Local knowledge matters.

Rohe Moana: A Relationship With Place

The concept of rohe moana provides another way to understand this relationship.

It refers to a defined customary fishing area associated with tangata whenua.

But it is worth resisting the temptation to think of a rohe moana as simply a boundary drawn on a map.

The ocean is connected to people through history, whakapapa, food gathering and identity.

The coastline can contain stories.

Fishing grounds can carry generations of knowledge.

Places can have particular significance.

This is one reason why Māori approaches to marine management cannot always be reduced to questions of fish numbers alone.

There are cultural relationships involved as well.

Traditional Fishing Was Highly Knowledge-Based

There is sometimes a misconception that traditional food gathering was simply a matter of taking advantage of abundant natural resources.

The reality was much more sophisticated.

Māori developed detailed knowledge of species, habitats, seasons and food-gathering techniques.

Te Ara's research into Māori fishing and food production shows the scale and sophistication of these systems. Fishing, horticulture, gathering and food preservation were all part of broader systems of food production and exchange.

The ocean was a food-producing environment.

Understanding it was essential.

Preservation: Making the Catch Last

One of the challenges of fishing is obvious:

You don't always catch fish when you need them.

A large catch can also exceed what one household can eat immediately.

Traditional Māori communities therefore developed methods for preserving food.

Te Ara records methods including drying and steaming fish, allowing food to be stored and used later.

Preservation changes the economics of food gathering.

Instead of needing to catch something every day, a successful fishing trip can contribute to food supplies over a much longer period.

That is another example of knowledge being used to make the most of resources.

Food, Trade and Exchange

Kaimoana also moved between communities.

Te Ara records that coastal groups exchanged preserved fish and other marine products with inland communities for other foods and resources.

This is an important reminder that traditional economies were interconnected.

A coastal community might have access to fish and shellfish.

Another area might have resources from forests or cultivated foods.

Exchange allowed communities to access things that weren't readily available locally.

The ocean therefore contributed not only to food security but also to wider economic and social relationships.

Kaimoana and the East Coast

For Wai-Tai, these ideas have particular relevance.

We are based in Tairāwhiti, where the relationship between people and the ocean is impossible to separate from everyday life.

The coastline is part of the landscape.

The ocean is part of the culture.

Fishing and diving remain part of the lifestyle.

And surfing creates another direct relationship with the moana.

This is one reason the ocean appears so often throughout the Wai-Tai range.

Our designs aren't inspired by some distant idea of the sea.

They come from a place where the moana is part of everyday life.

From Kaimoana to Wai-Tai

At Wai-Tai, our connection with the ocean is expressed through contemporary Māori-inspired surfwear and designs.

The Whai — stingray — is one of the marine forms represented in the Wai-Tai range.

The Mangōpare connects to the hammerhead shark.

The Kaitiaki range reflects the broader idea of guardianship and connection to the natural world.

These designs sit comfortably within the broader story we're telling through The Wai-Tai Journal.

Not because a T-shirt can somehow contain generations of knowledge.

It can't.

Rather, clothing can provide an opportunity to start a conversation.

A design can make someone curious.

Curiosity can lead to learning.

And learning can lead to greater respect for the places and stories that inspired the design.

Explore the Wai-Tai Whai Collection

Discover Mangōpare

Shop the Kaitiaki Collection

Explore Wai-Tai Māori Surfwear

Kaimoana and the Surfer

There is also an obvious connection between kaimoana and surfing.

Surfers spend time in the ocean.

They learn its moods.

They watch the tides.

They understand the effect of wind.

They notice water temperature.

They learn the shape of reefs and sandbars.

They become familiar with the coastline.

And, over time, they develop a relationship with particular places.

A surfer may not be gathering food from the ocean, but they are still dependent upon the health of the environment.

Clean water matters.

Healthy reefs matter.

Healthy beaches matter.

Marine life matters.

The ocean is the reason we are there.

What Surfers Can Learn From Kaimoana

One of the most useful lessons is simply to pay attention.

The same principle runs through much of the traditional knowledge we've explored in The Wai-Tai Journal.

The navigator observes the stars.

The fisher observes the sea.

The person gathering shellfish observes the tide and shoreline.

The maramataka provides a framework for observing lunar and seasonal cycles.

The kaitiaki observes the condition of the environment.

All of these require something that modern life can sometimes discourage:

slowing down enough to notice.

The Moana Is Not an Unlimited Pantry

One of the most important lessons from the story of kaimoana is that abundance should never be assumed to be permanent.

The ocean can appear enormous.

A coastline can look unchanged.

But marine ecosystems are not limitless.

The Ministry for the Environment has documented pressures on fisheries and marine ecosystems from fishing, sedimentation, pollution, climate change and other human activities.

That means responsible harvesting matters.

It also means protecting the habitats that allow marine species to thrive.

A healthy fishery doesn't begin with the person holding the fishing rod.

It begins with a healthy ecosystem.

The Future of Kaimoana

The future of kaimoana depends upon the future of the moana.

That's obvious.

But it is also easy to forget.

If we want children and grandchildren to experience the same connection to the ocean, then we need healthy marine environments.

They need fish.

They need shellfish.

They need clean water.

They need healthy reefs.

They need functioning estuaries.

They need coastal habitats.

And they need the knowledge to understand how those systems work.

That final point is particularly important.

We need to pass on the knowledge as well as the resources.

Knowledge Is Something We Can Lose

A depleted fishery is one kind of loss.

But there is another kind that can happen more quietly.

The loss of knowledge.

If fewer people know where traditional resources can be found, when they can be gathered, how they should be prepared or which places should be protected, something valuable disappears.

Mātauranga Māori is therefore not just information about the past.

It is living knowledge.

The Ministry for the Environment recognises the importance of mātauranga Māori in understanding the marine environment and the effects of environmental change.

Protecting the moana and protecting knowledge can therefore be part of the same conversation.

Kaimoana Is About Connection

Perhaps that's the most important point.

Kaimoana isn't only about seafood.

It's about connection.

Connection between:

people and place

food and culture

knowledge and environment

past and future

whānau and community

land and sea

use and responsibility

When someone gathers kai from the ocean, they aren't simply collecting calories.

They are interacting with an environment that has supported people for generations.

That relationship carries responsibility.

What Does a Healthy Kaimoana Future Look Like?

Imagine a future where children can still walk along the coast and recognise the species their grandparents taught them about.

Where people still know where to find pipi.

Where pāua beds remain healthy.

Where fish populations support both communities and ecosystems.

Where traditional knowledge continues to be passed from one generation to another.

Where customary fisheries management is respected.

Where science and mātauranga can contribute to understanding the changing marine environment.

Where people can still gather kai moana and know that the resource will be there for those who come after them.

That is a future worth working towards.

Kaimoana and Kaitiakitanga

This brings us back to where our previous article began.

Kaitiakitanga.

The idea that our relationship with the natural world carries responsibilities.

Kaimoana makes that relationship tangible.

If the ocean feeds us, we need to care for it.

If the coastline gives us food, we need to protect its health.

If the moana provides recreation, we need to respect it.

If generations before us developed knowledge about the sea, we should value and learn from that knowledge.

And if we want future generations to experience the same relationship, we need to think beyond today.

From the Moana to the Next Generation

There is something powerful about the idea of food gathered from the sea.

A parent takes a child to the beach.

They show them where to look.

They explain what they are seeing.

They teach them what to take.

And perhaps, just as importantly, they teach them what not to take.

The child learns the coastline.

They learn the tides.

They learn the species.

They learn respect.

Years later, they may return to the same place with their own children.

That is how knowledge survives.

Not simply in books.

Not simply in museums.

But through people.

Through practice.

Through observation.

Through stories.

Through doing.

Wai-Tai and the Moana

At Wai-Tai, our connection to the moana comes from everyday life.

Five friends.

The East Coast.

Surfing.

Fishing.

Diving.

Paddling.

The beaches we know.

The ocean that surrounds us.

The stories and cultural connections that give those places meaning.

Our clothing is contemporary, but our inspiration comes from a place with a very long history.

That's what we want The Wai-Tai Journal to explore.

Not simply what Māori culture looked like in the past.

But how those connections, ideas and relationships continue to influence life in Aotearoa today.

The Ocean Gives, But It Also Asks Something of Us

Kaimoana has sustained people for generations.

But the relationship isn't one-way.

The ocean gives.

People take.

And people have responsibilities in return.

That is where kaimoana meets kaitiakitanga.

It is where fishing meets mātauranga.

It is where food meets whakapapa.

It is where the past meets the future.

And it is why the health of the moana matters so much.

For Wai-Tai, the ocean isn't simply somewhere we go.

It is part of who we are.

Wai-Tai Aotearoa — inspired by the moana, the East Coast and the connections that bring us together.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is kaimoana?

Kaimoana is a Māori term commonly used for food gathered from the sea, including fish, shellfish and other marine foods.

What does kaimoana mean to Māori?

Kaimoana has significance beyond food. It can be connected to whakapapa, tikanga, mahinga kai, customary fishing, community, hospitality and relationships with the moana.

What is mahinga kai?

Mahinga kai refers broadly to traditional food-gathering places, practices and resources. It encompasses more than simply the food itself and can involve knowledge, places, customary practices and relationships with the environment.

What seafood did Māori traditionally gather?

Traditional Māori diets included many marine foods, including fish, pāua, kina, mussels, pipi, tuatua, toheroa and other shellfish. The species available varied according to local environments.

How did Māori preserve fish?

Traditional preservation methods included drying and steaming, allowing fish to be stored and consumed later.

What is a mātaitai reserve?

A mātaitai reserve is an area developed and managed by tangata whenua to recognise and provide for the special relationship between tangata whenua and traditional fishing grounds. Mātaitai can have bylaws governing fishing activities.

What is a rohe moana?

A rohe moana is a defined customary fishing area associated with tangata whenua. Customary fishing within such areas can be managed by tangata kaitiaki or tangata tiaki under New Zealand's customary fisheries framework.

How does kaimoana relate to kaitiakitanga?

Kaimoana provides a practical example of the relationship between people and the environment. If communities depend on marine resources, caring for the health of the marine environment becomes an important responsibility.

Continue Exploring The Wai-Tai Journal

If you've enjoyed exploring the story of kaimoana, continue through our growing collection of articles about Māori relationships with the moana.

Kaitiakitanga: Understanding Māori Guardianship of the Moana

Explore the deeper meaning of guardianship, mauri, rāhui and responsibility for the marine environment.

Maramataka: The Māori Lunar Calendar and the Rhythm of the Natural World

Discover the relationship between lunar cycles, seasons and environmental observation.

Māori Ocean Navigation: How Waka, Stars and the Natural World Guided Voyagers

Explore the extraordinary environmental knowledge behind traditional Pacific navigation.

Mangōpare: Māori, Sharks and the Powerful Connection to the Moana

Discover the cultural and environmental significance of sharks and the inspiration behind one of Wai-Tai's designs.

Explore Wai-Tai Aotearoa

The moana continues to influence the Wai-Tai range, from marine-inspired designs to contemporary Māori surfwear.