RANI ELLISON Maori Crayfish Tycoon Story: E. SCHWIMMER Photos: N. M. BEAUMONT One of the biggest fishing enterprises in New Zealand is owned by Maoris and has a Maori as its manager. It is the Otakou Fisheries of Dunedin, run by Mr Rani Ellison who must be one of New Zealand's most unusual businessmen. Before 1946, the people of Otakou Heads were farmers or worked in town. A few made some money out of line fishing and caught harracouta along the coast. The people also have interests in the muttonbird islands, particularly Kaihuka, and go there every year. They belong to Ngati Mamoe and Ngaitahu and their canoe is Takitimu which according to their tradition was wrecked at the mouth of the Waihau River. They travelled south from there to where they now live. Elder of the tribe at present is Dr. Pohau Ellison, who is among the last survivors of the famous “Young Maori Party” which arose at Te Aute College before the end of the last century. The community has a meeting house called Tamatea and a Maori church and gate with copies of ancient carvings in concrete. Fish is unloaded on the wharf and stored at once in freezing chambers. Shaw McEwen works in the chamber at Otakou, (Photograph: N. M. Beaumont). After the last war. Rani Ellison, with two of his brothers, started a transport business at Otakou. They soon decided that business would be brisker if they could stimulate a little more fishing at the Otakou Heads. That would provide them with some extra loads. They bought a shed and started to build a landing ramp. Most of the timber came from the family farm on which Rani had worked before the war. (Rani Ellison had tried for a university degree when young, but he found the academic life did not suit him and he went farming instead.) The harbour board lent the three men a punt which was anchored just in front of the ramp. They ran a wire from the punt to the factory, and attached a bin to the wire. This bin, filled with fish, was drawn by a horse into the factory where it was emptied out by various devices. Later, when the landing ramp was completed, with the help of a harbour board pile driver, they put a railway on the wharf. The small capital needed for the project was horrowed from relations and friends at Otakou. The primary object (apart from stimulating their own cartage business) was to employ Bernes Oysters is one of Mr Ellison's recent business ventures. The oysters are flown north from Invercargill as soon as they are landed.