Source: Radio New Zealand
14 Poutini Ngāi Tahu (West Coast Ngāi Tahu) pounamu stones weighing close to 60 kg returned on 1 November 2024 by New Zealand Customs. Supplied
Ngāi Tahu wants to see tougher restrictions on exporting pounamu after a mother and son were found guilty of attempting to illegally export pounamu to China over the legal limit.
It is the first successful prosecution of its kind by New Zealand Customs after Boyuan Zhang and his mother Xin Li were found carrying almost 18 [17.9] kilograms in their luggage in 2024.
While not a party to the case, Ngāi Tahu holds legal ownership of all naturally occurring pounamu within its tribal boundaries since 1997 under the Ngāi Tahu Pounamu Vesting Act.
Ngāti Māhaki ki Makaawhio is one of the kaitiaki or stewardship hapū of Ngāi Tahu with a particular whakapapa connection to pounamu.
Representative Susan Wallace told Morning Report pounamu is a sacred resource and taonga recognised by many New Zealanders, not just Māori, who wear it and have a connection to the stone.
Descendants of Ngāi Tahu attended the trial in the Manukau District Court last month, and Wallace said the verdict was an emotional moment for them.
“It does serve as a warning that attempts to export pounamu without permission can and will be prosecuted so it’s a huge outcome for us.
“The case also highlighted a number of areas where the export regime could be strengthened, and that includes the current weight threshold. You can currently export up to five kilograms out of the country – this case showed that you can’t get around that by sharing the weight amongst a group of people, which is what happened in this case.”
Wallace said Ngāi Tahu had been working with Customs and the police.
Asked why there was such a large black market for pounamu, Wallace said she believed it was because pounamu was not mined here to the extent it was in other countries.
“So we’re fortunate to be able to have quite a lot of pounamu that is available. As a result of that, others from overseas are coming in quite regularly to take and export pounamu. We’re actually wanting to tighten that up – we think that the weight needs to be lowered significantly.”
Exporting pounamu in quantities over five kilograms was only permitted with the approval of the Customs minister.
Public fossicking for pounamu was only allowed on West Coast beaches, and the size of pounamu allowed to be taken was limited to something you could carry in one hand.
Rivers were able to be fossicked by Ngāi Tahu whānau members, but only with a collection permit granted by the kaitiaki (guardian) rūnanga.
Wallace said the case showed there were areas of the law that needed to be tightened up, including the weight limit for exporting pounamu.
“We’d love to see it reduced down completely and that there is a special permit that might be given that would enable it to be taken out legally, but actually with the support of Ngāi Tahu rather than it being something that is, I guess, managed through the government.”
Ngāi Tahu had an authentication process in place for buyers to check the authenticity of their taonga, she said.
“So we have a unique traceability code from the seller, you can enter that into the Ngāi Tahu pounamu website and trace back where that particular piece of pounamu came from.
“It’s a shame that despite this case there [are] so many online listings for illegally sourced stone, so it is showing the scale of the black market pounamu trade at the moment.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
