These eels have been hung out to dry at Wairewa (Lake Forsyth). Wairewa was an important source of eels for South Island Māori. Eels were caught in hīnaki (eel pots), or by using a bob made of noke waiū (big white worms), split flax and rushes (wīwī).
Listen to Riki Ellison from the Ngāi Tahu tribe talk about eeling.
Transcript
You got to gather them then. And we hang them out and use the method of fresh water to take the para off it, you know, take the para, fresh water and salt, plenty of salt.
Interviewer: Para is the slime?
Para is the slime, yes.
Get rid of all as much as you can. Hang them out to dry, put a cover over the top and keep the sun off it because the sun can spoil it, let them hang. And soon as they finished, firm enough, there's a big mass people doing the pāwhara, you know, the pāwhara or opening up the bones and taking it out. I can do that quite easy.
Using this item
Alexander Turnbull Library, Tourist and Publicity Department Collection
Reference: 1/2-040042; F
by K. V. Bigwood
Sound file from Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision. Reference: 45419. Any unauthorised re-use of this audio is a breach of copyright.
Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.