Traditional ecological knowledge can be highly informative and integrated with complementary scientific knowledge to improve species management. This is especially true for abundant species with which indigenous peoples have frequent interactions (e.g., through harvest), but has been studied less frequently in isolated or declining species. We examined Maori traditional ecological knowledge of tuatara (Sphenodon spp., reptiles that resemble lizards but are the last living representatives of the order Sphenodontia) through semidirected interviews of elders of Te Atiawa, Ngati Koata, and Ngati Wai Iwi (similar to tribes), the guardians of several islands currently inhabited by tuatara. Maori are indigenous to New Zealand, having settled 800 to 1000 years ago. Tuatara are endemic to New Zealand, have declined in numbers since human settlement, and are now restricted to 37 offshore islands. The detail and volume of tuatara traditional ecological knowledge were less than that recorded in studies of more abundant or accessible species. In addition, traditional knowledge of the cultural significance of tuatara was more common and detailed among the elders than traditional knowledge of tuatara biology or ecology. The traditional knowledge collected, however, provided the first evidence of seven former sites of tuatara occupation, suggested five additional sites tuatara may currently occupy, contained novel hypotheses for scientific testing, and described tuatara cultural roles that have not been reported previously. We conclude that, in at least some cases, traditional ecological knowledge may persist as species decline and may serve as a valuable source of ecological information for conservation.

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Auheke: Kei roto tonu i te mātauranga taiao te oranga o nga mea katoa o te ao, ahakoa he kararehe, ahakoa he rākau, ahakoa he aha. Mo tēnei mahi rangahau i kōrero mātou ki ngā kaumātua e waru, no Te Atiawa me Ngāti Kuia, mo ngā tītī o tā rātou rohe o Te Tau Ihu o te Waka o Māui. Ko te nuinga o ngā kōrero he titiro ki te maha o te tītī ki taua takiwā, mehemea kei te mau pai tonu ngā kōhanga o te tītī, ki a rātou ake mahi hopu tītī, ā, ki a rātou tikanga mo te tiaki i te tītī. Te āhua nei kua iti haere te nuinga o te tītī, na te mea kua ngaro haere ngā tikanga tiaki tītī o ngā rā o mua. Ki ētahi, na ngā rāhui o te Kāwanatanga te hē, na te mea kua kore e āro ake ki te mātauranga o te Māori. Tuarua, kua iti haere te nuinga o te tītī mai te ao whānui, ina rā, kua tata mate katoa, e ai ki ētahi kōrero pēnei i te IUCN. Ko te mea kē, ka ngaro te rangatiratanga o te mātauranga taiao ka iti haere hoki te nuinga o te tītī. Nā kona e kī ai tēnei mahi rangahau, me kaha tonu te titiro ki nga mahi hopu tītī a te Māori. Me mau pono tonu ki ngā tikanga o te mātauranga taiao kia kore ai e iti haere te nuinga o ngā mea katoa o te taiao -koiana te kōrero.Abstract: Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) can provide valuable insights into historical abundance, ecology and conservation of species. In this study, we interviewed eight Maori kaumatua of Te Atiawa and Ngāti Kuia to document Maori traditional knowledge, or matauranga Maori, of sooty shearwaters (Puffinus griseus) of the Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand. Interview questions focused on shearwater abundance, breeding habitat, customary harvest, and traditional management. Matauranga Maori suggests high shearwater abundance historically, as well as traditional harvest protocols and traditional population management techniques no longer in use. Government imposed harvest bans reduced interaction with, and thus matauranga Maori of, sooty shearwaters followed by the species experiencing a worldwide decline in abundance and being classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN. Our study serves as an important reminder that TEK and species abundance often decline in tandem and that cultural harvest must be considered when designing conservation management strategies for species.

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