Lure of kaimoana driving up Māori drowning statistics

Water Safety New Zealand chief executive Daniel Gerrard said the organisation was hearing stories from up and down the country of people taking a risk to feed the whānau. The organisation’s figures showed so far, drowning deaths were up on this time last year - 75, versus 80 last year. Those angling from land were often Asian men aged around 45, and those diving for kaimoana were usually Māori men around 40. University of Otago PhD student Ben Hanara, of Ngāti Kahungunu, researches how collecting kaimoana influences Māori health and wellbeing. He said kai gathering is of huge importance to Māori, who are over-represented in Aotearoa’s drowning statistics.