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Māori Biosecurity Network
Protecting Aotearoa, together.
Māori-led biosecurity grounded in mātauranga and community.
Kia tū.
Be alert.
Kia mataara.
Be aware.
Kia tiaki.
Be protectors.
Māori Leading the First Line of Defence
The Māori Biosecurity Network was established to connect, support, and amplify Māori voices and knowledge in the fight against pests and diseases threatening our taonga species and places.
We are a collective of kaitiaki, scientists, whānau, hapū, and iwi united by a shared vision: a biosecure Aotearoa where Indigenous knowledge and leadership guide protection efforts.
Born out of the need for a Māori-led, Māori-informed response to biosecurity challenges, the Network ensures that the voices, knowledge, and rights of tangata whenua (indigenous people of NZ) are central in safeguarding our whenua (land), wai (water), rākau (trees), manu (birds), and taonga tuku iho (heritage).
We are not just a network. We are a movement.
Grounded in whakapapa and driven by a responsibility to our mokopuna and our tūpuna (ancestors), we bring together mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) and science to respond to current threats and prepare for what’s to come.
Numbers to Date
760
Tonnes of Carbon Sequestered
124
Jobs Created
9874
Native Species Planted
4300
Hectares of Land Reforested to Native Ecosystems
Māori-led projects have used your investments to renew the environment and offset carbon. Here's a snapshot of what the Collective has achieved:
2200
Deer, Goats, Pigs, and Geese Hunted
658
Possum, Stoat, and Rat Traps Laid
350
Kilograms of Food Produced for Communities
11
Species Returning to Restored Lands
17
Communities in the Kaitiaki Collective
$1.5m
Invested in Māori-led Biodiversity Initiatives
90
Kilograms of Clothing Materials Produced (from Hunting and Trapping)
13
UNSDGs Implemented at Place
About The Network
As first responders, knowledge holders, and innovators, our members stand on the frontlines of biosecurity, whether it's monitoring traps and waterways, detecting plant diseases like myrtle rust, responding to exotic pest incursions such as Caulerpa, or developing new culturally aligned pest tools and training the next generation of kaitiaki.
While the Māori Biosecurity Network is led by Māori and guided by mātauranga, we recognise the importance and need for genuine allies in this. Non-Māori scientists, practitioners, and organisations are welcome as supporters and collaborators, working alongside us in ways that uphold Māori leadership, respect local tikanga, and strengthen the collective protection of Aotearoa. Our unity lies in shared responsibility, but our leadership is firmly Indigenous.
We exist to uplift Māori leadership in biosecurity, to foster collaboration across sectors, and to ensure that Māori are recognised as decision-makers, not just stakeholders, in the protection of this place we all call home.
What We Do
