New Zealand, Land of the Kiwis is an island country of mesmerising natural beauty. It bears the secrets of the Maoris, is famed for its unique wildlife (kiwi bird in particular among others) and is the nation made further famous by possessing the unrivalled natural landscapes to host J.K Tolkien’s Middle Earth. Yet even among such renowned elements, New Zealand’s päua
is still able to hold its own ground.
The New Zealand päua is a unique species of ancient snails that have remained unchanged since the time of the dinosaurs. In other parts of the world, the päua is known as the abalone – a prized delicacy.
Now the päua of New Zealand are special because they have that distinguishing brilliantly coloured shells (the inside of the shell is multicoloured with blue and green hues) and they are only found in the sub-tidal and rocky coastlines of country. There are
three species of päua native to New Zealand and they are prized because of the large commercial market that exists for both their flesh (culinary delicacy) and their decorative shells (accessories such as jewelery).
The precious (high market demands) and fragile (low survival rate due to the snails nature of being highly sensitive and easily stressed) nature of the New Zealand päua places its existence at risk of extinction. In fact they are already extinct in some bays.
Its ability to fetch commercially high prices, have drawn the attention and participation of plundering poachers who further put their existence at risk because of their irresponsible harvesting methods – mass harvesting where no distinction is made between young undersized päua and the older harvesting aged ones, leaving none to breed and none to grow up to breed.
On top of harvesting/poaching threats, the existence of Päua are also jeopardized by the effects of freshwater floods, pollution, sedimentation and speed boats that scour and kill the red-pink coralline algae found on rocks (Päua’s essential food).
The demand for Päua is worldwide and while the market continues to grow, sadly the Päua’s population isn’t. Päua do not at any one time breed much or fast. Therefore consuming them at a rate faster than they can reproduce and mature is doing nothing for their sustainability. And lest we forget, the extinction of a breed/species affects the entire eco-system.
So the next time you decide to buy a Päua made product or consume one to satisfy your culinary taste buds, make sure they were farmed and sustainably harvested.
