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Story: Te hopu tuna – eeling

Pā tuna (eel weir)

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Pā tuna (eel weir)

This is a small tuna (eel weir) of the tauremu type, at Ngutuwera on the Moumāhaki River. Eel weirs were used in autumn, to catch eels on their way downstream to spawn.

Using this item

Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

Reference: T. W. Downes, ‘Notes on eels and eel-weirs (tuna and pa-tuna).’ Transactions and proceedings of the Royal Institute of New Zealand 50 (1918). Wellington: Govt. Printing

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How to cite this page

Basil Keane, Te hopu tuna – eeling – Pā tuna – eel weirs, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/13968/pa-tuna-eel-weir (accessed 11 June 2026).

Story by Basil Keane, published 2 March 2009.

Comments

Ellie Rivers
24 October 2011
please stop fishing and eating eels. I am 11 and by the time I am 21 there might not be any more eels left in Nz especially at risk are the NZ longfin. Thank you