Banks Peninsula Marine Reserve
Rohe/Iwi Links
Pōhatu Pa or Flea Bay was the traditional home to Tutakakahikura and his people in pre-European times. The word Pōhatu means stone. The rich flora and fauna was a good source of mahinga kai - food gathering. Māori people gathered fish, seabirds, shellfish and freshwater fish. On the south headland (Dyke Head) a pā called Paekaroro once stood.
Today's descendants of Tutakahikura are Kāi Tahu, Te Rūnaka o Koukourarata (Port Levy). They actively support Pōhatu as a marine reserve on Banks Peninsula (Horomaka)
Pōhatu acts as a nest (kōhanga) for replenishing fish stocks, providing a key element in the integrated sustainable management of fish resources on Banks Peninsula.