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Pātiki at Te Waihora Lake Ellesmere
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TitleFlounder at Te Waihora Lake Ellesmere
DescriptionTe Waihora has almost 50 fish species recorded in the lake. Along with tuna (eels), aua (yellow-eyed mullet) and īnanga (whitebait), pātiki (flounder) are significant mahinga kai species for Ngāi Tahu.
Pātiki belong to the flatfish family, and five species are recorded in Te Waihora. The most common is the mohoao (black flounder) (Rhombosolea retiaria) followed by pātiki tōtara (yellow-belly flounder) (Rhombosolea leporina) and the pātiki (three corner flounder) (Rhombosolea plebeia). All three species are commercially fished and provide an important customary fishery resource for Ngāi Tahu.
As early as 1891, local fishermen were dismayed at the small size of flounder caught in the lake, compared to decades earlier when the flounder were large. Specific legislation was enacted in 1892 to regulate the taking of flounder in Lake Ellesmere – fish less than 10 inches in length had to be returned to the water, or a fine of between one and 50 pounds was enforced.
In March 1893 the Flounder Commission met in Leeston, chaired by Sir John Hall, gathering evidence about the boats and techniques used to catch flounder in the lake. This information was presented to Parliament later that year in a detailed submission called 'The minimum size at which flounders should be taken', which provides a fascinating snapshot into the men, methods and viewpoints of those involved in the industry at that time.
An 1899 report by the Ellesmere Guardian on the state of the flounder industry at Lake Ellesmere found that fish numbers had decreased because of troutweed, which trapped the fish, and the rising numbers of introduced trout in the lake. They also cited the extensive use of set nets, and the opening of the lake so that red cod and other species came into the waters.
However, the wider issue, which would become more pronounced into the 20th century were the changes brought about by European farming practices from the 1850s, following the contested sale of Ngāi Tahu land across Canterbury through the Kemp Deed in 1848. The drainage of wetlands and the introduction of livestock and fertilisers played a key role in decreasing the health of Te Waihora as a habitat. A quote on the Te Waihora co-governance website contrasts the former health and clarity of the lake with that after the land reclamation and agricultural intervention by colonists:
'There was a time when pātiki/flounder could be seen swimming above the shingle lake bottom – a time when tuna/eels were so plentiful the creeks stirred, slippery and black; and plant life grew abundant and rich. It was a time of balance and health. Decades of settlement and farming though, have taken their toll and the lake has been significantly polluted.'
In 1978, because of concerns over declining catches, the lake was declared a controlled fishery for tuna/eels, with catches limited, and quotas were introduced for three species of pātiki (black, yellow-bellied and sand) in 1986. Both these commercial fisheries were included in the quota management system, known as QMS, introduced in 2000. Te Waihora is only a small part of the quota-managed area across Te Waipounamu, with pātiki mohoao being the main species of flounder caught in the lake.
The cultural importance of pātiki to the local Ngāti Ruahikihiki people can be seen in the way they are used in the art of Taumutu artist, teacher and tohunga raranga (expert weaver) Cath Brown QSM (1933-2004). Ceramic pātiki also adorn her place of burial in the Hone Wetere churchyard.
DescriptionTe Waihora has almost 50 fish species recorded in the lake. Along with tuna (eels), aua (yellow-eyed mullet) and īnanga (whitebait), pātiki (flounder) are significant mahinga kai species for Ngāi Tahu. Pātiki belong to the flatfish family, and five species are recorded in Te Waihora. The most common is the mohoao (black flounder) (Rhombosolea retiaria) followed by pātiki tōtara (yellow-belly flounder) (Rhombosolea leporina) and the pātiki (three corner flounder) (Rhombosolea plebeia). All three species are commercially fished and provide an important customary fishery resource for Ngāi Tahu.
As early as 1891, local fishermen were dismayed at the small size of flounder caught in the lake, compared to decades earlier when the flounder were large. Specific legislation was enacted in 1892 to regulate the taking of flounder in Lake Ellesmere – fish less than 10 inches in length had to be returned to the water, or a fine of between one and 50 pounds was enforced.
In March 1893 the Flounder Commission met in Leeston, chaired by Sir John Hall, gathering evidence about the boats and techniques used to catch flounder in the lake. This information was presented to Parliament later that year in a detailed submission called 'The minimum size at which flounders should be taken', which provides a fascinating snapshot into the men, methods and viewpoints of those involved in the industry at that time.
An 1899 report by the Ellesmere Guardian on the state of the flounder industry at Lake Ellesmere found that fish numbers had decreased because of troutweed, which trapped the fish, and the rising numbers of introduced trout in the lake. They also cited the extensive use of set nets, and the opening of the lake so that red cod and other species came into the waters.
However, the wider issue, which would become more pronounced into the 20th century were the changes brought about by European farming practices from the 1850s, following the contested sale of Ngāi Tahu land across Canterbury through the Kemp Deed in 1848. The drainage of wetlands and the introduction of livestock and fertilisers played a key role in decreasing the health of Te Waihora as a habitat. A quote on the Te Waihora co-governance website contrasts the former health and clarity of the lake with that after the land reclamation and agricultural intervention by colonists:
'There was a time when pātiki/flounder could be seen swimming above the shingle lake bottom – a time when tuna/eels were so plentiful the creeks stirred, slippery and black; and plant life grew abundant and rich. It was a time of balance and health. Decades of settlement and farming though, have taken their toll and the lake has been significantly polluted.'
In 1978, because of concerns over declining catches, the lake was declared a controlled fishery for tuna/eels, with catches limited, and quotas were introduced for three species of pātiki (black, yellow-bellied and sand) in 1986. Both these commercial fisheries were included in the quota management system, known as QMS, introduced in 2000. Te Waihora is only a small part of the quota-managed area across Te Waipounamu, with pātiki mohoao being the main species of flounder caught in the lake.
The cultural importance of pātiki to the local Ngāti Ruahikihiki people can be seen in the way they are used in the art of Taumutu artist, teacher and tohunga raranga (expert weaver) Cath Brown QSM (1933-2004). Ceramic pātiki also adorn her place of burial in the Hone Wetere churchyard.
Connections
CollectionWaihora Whata Rau - the hundred platforms of WaihoraWaihora Whata RauMahika kai species of Te WaihoraPlaceTe Waihora Lake EllesmereMapMap of the major waterways of Te Waihora catchmentMore InformationRead the report of the 1893 Flounder Commission on the size at which flounders should be caughtRead more about pātiki on the Te Waihora Co-governance websiteRead the 1899 Ellesmere Guardian report on the pātiki industry at Te WaihoraRead more about pātiki on the NIWA website
Waihora Whata RauMahika kai species of Te WaihoraPlaceTe Waihora Lake EllesmereMapMap of the major waterways of Te Waihora catchmentMore InformationRead the report of the 1893 Flounder Commission on the size at which flounders should be caughtRead more about pātiki on the Te Waihora Co-governance websiteRead the 1899 Ellesmere Guardian report on the pātiki industry at Te WaihoraRead more about pātiki on the NIWA websiteAttribution
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Pātiki at Te Waihora Lake Ellesmere. Selwyn Stories, accessed 19/04/2026, https://selwynstories.selwynlibraries.co.nz/nodes/view/6522
