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Te Riu o Waikato, a collective of 15 marae, is on a mission to control problem koi carp in the region's waterways.
The fish, which impact water quality, eat native plant life and compete with indigenous fish for food, are so well established that eradication is no longer feasible.
“I don’t think we will be able to eradicate them completely," Te Riu o Waikato chair Tawera Nikau told Waatea News.
Nikau told the Māori radio outlet it may, however, be possible to reduce them to a "manageable level".
He says koi are established in all 14 lakes in the north of the region and also the Waikato River.
Te Riu o Waikato has joined with DOC, Waikato Regional Council and the Waikato River Authority to investigate methods of controlling the problem fish.