Yesterday, the New Zealand Customs Service marked International Customs Day by returning a 175 kilogram piece of pounamu (also known as jade) to Ngāi Tahu. Customs stopped it from being exported illegally in December 2010.
Representatives from Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu and the two West Coast kaitiaki (guardian) rūnanga, Ngāti Waewae and Makaawhio, as well as local rūnanga Ngāi Tūāhuriri, received the pounamu at Rehua Marae in Christchurch from Customs’ Deputy Comptroller Operations Robert Lake
Robert said the confiscated pounamu was sold by a jeweller to a customer from China for $7,000.
“The jeweller had previously exported numerous pieces of pounamu and so it was packaged for export with no consideration of any export restrictions.”
Subsequent checks by Customs found the pounamu to be in a raw state with no approval to export having been applied for. Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu was notified and the pounamu seized.
The export of pounamu, both natural or processed, is prohibited except with the consent of the Minister of Customs. The Minister can only give consent on written advice from Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, or the Mawhera Incorporation if the pounamu was from the catchment of the Arahura River.
There is also an exemption for articles made from pounamu such as jewellery, pendants, or sculptures, or for small shipments of pounamu.
Customs’ Robert Lake said that Pounamu is an important cultural treasure. “We are happy to be able to work with Ngāi Tahu and assist them with the work they are doing to protect and enhance this precious and unique resource.”
Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu Kaiwhakahaere Mark Solomon said the return of such a large piece of pounamu is a significant occasion. “It’s a statement about the importance of pounamu to Ngāi Tahu and to New Zealand as a cultural icon. It also reaffirms for me all the work done to protect pounamu and the tribe’s ownership right. I commend Customs for the good work they have done and are doing.”
Poutini Ngāi Tahu chairs Paul Madgwick (Te Rūnanga o Makaawhio) and Francois Tumahai (Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Waewae) join Mark Solomon in acknowledging the work Customs is doing. "This story should serve as a reminder that there are rules for exporting pounamu. We appreciate the role Customs plays in helping to protect this precious resource and are thrilled to be here today to celebrate International Customs Day and the return of our pounamu."
Francois Tumahai says, "We are working in conjunction with Ngāi Tahu, Customs, and others to stem the illegal flow of pounamu from the West Coast on a number of fronts. Customs have a high detection rate and ultimately our combined actions will make Customs’ job easier.”
The work to protect pounamu is being stepped up throughout the South Island’s West Coast (the main source of pounamu) to counter the flow of stolen stone before it reaches the border or the New Zealand black market.
Currently rūnanga are working with the mining community. Agreements are being developed with the West Coast Commercial Gold Miners Association and Minerals West Coast to address the pounamu typically uncovered by this industry. Miners are being asked to stockpile any resource they find so that it can be returned to Ngāi Tahu.
Paul Madgwick said both rūnanga are also committed to the Ngāi Tahu Pounamu authentication scheme. “The scheme makes it easier to identify pounamu that may have been obtained illegally, as well as signalling to the customer that inferior imported jade products exist in the market.”
Background information on exporting pounamu
The Ngāi Tahu (Pounamu Vesting) Act 1997 vested the Crown's rights in all pounamu found within the Ngāi Tahu Takiwa and the adjacent territorial sea in Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu. Pounamu from the catchment area of the Arahura River is vested in the Mawhera Incorporation.
Export of pounamu without consent presents both an economic risk and a significant spiritual and cultural risk to Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu The prohibition on the export of pounamu in its natural state, and partly or wholly processed pounamu (raw pounamu) was introduced in 1947. The prohibition does not apply to articles made from pounamu e.g. jewellery and sculptures and shipments of unprocessed pounamu of less than five kilograms.
The prohibition is designed to protect the value (economic, spiritual and cultural) of pounamu from being undermined through being taken and/or worked overseas in a way that is inappropriate to the traditions that are important to Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu. The export of worked pieces of pounamu that are more than 50 years old are controlled by the Protected Objects Act 1975, which Customs enforces at the border.