BUSINESS CONCEPT #325 - CUSTOMARY FISHERIES MONITORING SERVICE
A tech-enabled service tracking customary take and stock levels to ensure sustainable kaimoana management and compliance with Rāhui.
Executive Summary
This venture provides a "Digital Kaitiaki" platform that empowers Iwi and Hapū to monitor, manage, and protect their customary fisheries. We combine real-time sensor data with a mobile reporting interface to ensure that kaimoana stocks are harvested according to both scientific limits and traditional tikanga.
The Problem & Solution
The Problem: Commercial overfishing and climate-driven shifts are depleting our traditional food baskets (pataka kai). Current management models are often a "Newtonian Error"—treating the ocean as a warehouse of separate parts rather than a "Woven Universe," leading to the slow erosion of our customary rights and resources.
The Solution: We provide the "Universal Explainer" capability for our reefs. Our service uses underwater acoustic sensors and satellite imagery to track stock health, paired with a secure app for customary fishers to log their catch. This provides the "Hard Data" needed to legally and culturally defend Rāhui (temporary closures) and ensure the moana remains a source of abundance.
Target Market
Iwi and Hapū Fisheries Committees: Groups responsible for issuing customary permits and managing Rohe Moana (designated areas).
Conservation NGOs: Partners looking for high-fidelity data on marine biodiversity and ecosystem recovery.
Regional Councils: Agencies requiring accurate data for coastal management and environmental protection strategies.
Unique Value Proposition (UVP)
We offer "Sovereign Stewardship." Unlike government-led monitoring, our platform is designed by and for the people of the whenua. We integrate the Maramataka (Māori lunar calendar) into our predictive models, ensuring that harvesting occurs at the most thermodynamically efficient times, respecting the Mauri of the sea.
Revenue Model
Subscription Fees: Annual service contracts with Iwi and Hapū trusts for data hosting and platform access.
Consulting & Reporting: Providing formal "Mauri-Meter" environmental impact reports for resource consent hearings.
Grant Funding: Partnering with research institutions for long-term marine data collection projects.
Marketing & Channels
Marae-Based Wānanga: Demonstrating the tech to whānau and fishers to build trust and ensure high participation.
Iwi Chairs Forum: Presenting the model as a blueprint for regional kaimoana sovereignty and data protection.
30-60-90 Day Milestones
30 Days: Secure the initial Rohe Moana pilot area and deploy the first underwater acoustic monitoring array.
60 Days: Finalise the "Kaimoana Sovereign" app interface and begin training local Kaitiaki in data interpretation.
90 Days: Produce the first quarterly "Mauri Ora" stock assessment for the pilot region to inform the upcoming seasonal Rāhui.
Mauri Score Assessment
Te Taiao (Environment): +2. Directly prevents the collapse of marine ecosystems by providing the data needed to stop overharvesting and allow stock recovery.
Te Ahurea (Culture): +2. Reinvigorates the practice of Rāhui and asserts the authority of the Kaitiaki, ensuring ancient protocols are modernised and respected.
Te Tangata (Social): +1. Connects whānau to the health of their local moana, fostering collective responsibility and food security.
Te Pūtea (Economic): +1. Protects the long-term value of regional fisheries and reduces the "Leaky Bucket" loss of local food sovereignty.
