Pre-European Catches of Snapper (Pagrus auratus) in Northern New Zealand

Abstract

Archaeological fish bones of the species Pagrus auratus (snapper) were examined from five archaeological sites in northern New Zealand. Live fork length was estimated with standard errors ranging from 9–18mm, and live ungutted weight with standard errors ranging from 120–344g, depending on anatomy measured. Size–frequency diagrams were reconstructed, representing the original fish catches. These were compared with data derived from modern and commercial trawl catches from nearby marine environments. It was found that the archaeological fish catches are dominated by much larger fish than modern catches, reflecting a combination of two processes: selective capturing methods on the part of the pre-European Māori, which favoured large fish, and massive stock depletion in the post-European period. Several alternative methods of estimating fish weight are examined, each giving results within about 10% of correct mean values. It is suggested that if we are to verify hypothesized human-induced changes in fish populations over archaeological time, we need higher quality collections than are normally available for study.