Ngāi Tahu Seeks Powers to Combat Pounamu Black Market

Ngāi Tahu, the owners of pounamu, are seeking new compliance powers to combat a growing black market for the precious resource. The move follows a landmark legal victory on April 1, 2026, when a mother and son were found guilty of attempting to illegally export pounamu.

This case represents the first successful prosecution of its kind under the Customs Export Prohibition (Pounamu) Order 2021. Under current regulations, only Ngāi Tahu is permitted to legally sell pounamu in its raw form. Any exporters wishing to move the resource out of the country must obtain permission from the Customs Minister, who acts based on advice provided by the iwi.

Legal Framework and Guardianship

Since 1997, Ngāi Tahu has served as the sole kaitiaki, or legal guardian, of pounamu in the South Island. The legal framework allows members of the public to fossick for small quantities of the stone on the beaches of Te Tai o Poutini on the West Coast. However, it remains illegal to collect greenstone from inland areas or rivers without explicit permission from Ngāi Tahu.

Despite these laws, Ngāi Tahu officials state that current legal provisions are inadequate to prevent the plunder of the taonga. Chantal Tumahai, the Ngāi Tahu Pounamu manager, has noted a significant rise in dubious sales of the resource appearing on online marketplace sites by sellers with no connection to the iwi.

Sources of the Black Market

Francois Tumahai, the chair of the papatipu rūnanga for Ngāti Waewae based at Arahura near Hokitika, indicated that the scale of the black market is substantial. He noted that the first trial of its kind in 20 to 25 years is a necessary step to stop the ongoing theft.

The black market’s rife and pounamu leaving this country is not new. It’s been going on a for a long time [and] it continues to go on so this is important to draw a line in the sand to stop it.

Francois Tumahai

Tumahai specifically identified the alluvial gold mining industry as the primary source for the large quantities of pounamu being shipped overseas. He stated that the only place that’s coming from in any quantity to ship off seas is through the alluvial gold mining industry.

Police Recoveries and Criminal Trade

Law enforcement has also seen a rise in the recovery of stolen stone. On April 1, 2026, Franz Josef police recovered 365 pieces of pounamu and boulders from the remote Jackson River in South Westland. The items were found after police tracked fossickers traveling upstream in a vehicle.

The recovered stones were returned to the local hapū, Te Rūnanga o Makaawhio. Kara Edwards, the chief executive of Te Rūnanga o Makaawhio, described the recovery as a small win and expressed satisfaction that police are treating pounamu theft with seriousness.

We’re really thrilled to be working with the police in partnership and they did a fantastic job. Of course, we’re not thrilled about the amount of pounamu that was taken.

Kara Edwards

Edwards noted that stolen pounamu is increasingly discovered during unrelated police interventions. She explained that officers attending calls for other offenses, such as burglaries, frequently encounter piles of pounamu inside homes.

The severity of the trade was highlighted in 2025, when Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Waewae informed RNZ that stolen pounamu had become the second most traded commodity used in exchange for drugs, surpassed only by cash.