COLLECTION OF AGAR
COAST NATIVES’ WINDFALL The collection of agar has provided a windfall for the Maoris of the Eastern Bay of Plenty, in common with those residents on the Gisborne and Wairoa coasts. The largest harvest was gathered last summer and on a conservative estimate, the natives around Waihou Bay and Raukokore netted from £6OO to £BOO for the season. The Maoris were paid from £ll to £l4 per wool bale and some are known to have made £4O in a month, while one family netted £450 for the year.
The “crop” this year is expected to be better than at first anticipated as, following the cyclone on the East Coast great quantities of the seaweed were torn away from the rocks and made easy picking for those engaged in the collection of agar. With the better dairying season the Maoris have not been so keen to gather the weed by diving and pulling it off the rocks. Last sfeason the Maoris were very enterprising and were not just content to collect the weed as it was thrown up by the tides. It was a common sight to see Maoris diving from boats out amongst the reefs. The exceedingly rocky coastline, extending in the direction as far as Opape, is an ideal locality for the growth of luxuriant seaweedAgar is a light marine growth, resembling somewhat a fern, leaf, and is found mainly on the exposed coastline. The harvesting is mostly done in the summer months during the calmer periods such as has been experienced in the Bay of Plenty during the past week or so, owing to the element of danger working amongst the rocks.
This season the agar is shorter and bushier. Though not of the same length, the growth is generally much improved on that gathered last year and apparently it has benefited by the plucking. The usual procedure is to dry the seaweed on the rocks or fences and bale it for despatch to the Internal Marketing Division, Auckland. This year a Chinese trader from Gisborne has been operating along the coast purchasing for cash from the Maoris.
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Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 11, Issue 2, 7 March 1947, Page 5
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353COLLECTION OF AGAR Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 11, Issue 2, 7 March 1947, Page 5
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