changes in the fish catch, and
changes in fishing technology.
Mana Island (Te Mana o Kupe ki Aotearoa) lies just off the coast on the northern shores of Cook Strait, outside the entrance to the Porirua Harbour. Much of the island is bounded by cliffs but there is a sheltered landing in the south-east, where the main stream system reaches the coast. The focus of occupation on the island has always been here, on the flat behind the beach.
In 1990, excavations in two places on the beach flat revealed a long history of occupation, beginning as much as 600 years ago and ending with the historic occupation of the island by Ngaati Toa people in the 19th century (Horwood 1991).
Of special interest to the Bridge and Barrier research programme is the large assemblage of fish remains recovered during the excavations. The relative abundance of different fish caught can be calculated and shows that labrids (spotties and parrotfish) and snapper were the fish most commonly caught. There were also significant numbers of blue cod, greenbone (butterfish), leatherjacket and moki. Recent marine surveys around Mana itself and nearby Kapiti Island show that the early Maori fish catches closely reflect the species still present in the immediate inshore environment today.
The fish remains from the Mana Island site can be separated into one late (19th century) and two early (15th century) assemblages. This makes it possible to explore changes in aspects of fishing through time, such as:
changes in the fish catch, and
changes in fishing technology.