The Pāua Reseeding Project - Help Us Restore the Heart of Our Ocean
We’re a family-run farm on Arapaoa Island working to restore New Zealand’s ocean by spawning and releasing baby pāua back into the wild.
Marlborough
Our true mission has always been to protect and restore the wild pāua populations that make this part of the world so extraordinary.
For over two decades, our family has been dedicated to protecting and restoring the wild pāua populations that make Aotearoa’s oceans so extraordinary. From our home on Arapaoa Island in the Marlborough Sounds, we’ve been hand-raising and releasing baby pāua since 2005, giving thousands a new start in the wild each year.
This work is at the heart of everything we do. Each release helps replenish depleted coastal areas, strengthen marine biodiversity, and ensure the survival of one of New Zealand’s most iconic species. Our goal is simple: to give back to the ocean that sustains us and to help future generations experience its abundance.
We’re now asking for your help to expand our Pāua Reseeding Programme so we can raise and release even more juvenile pāua into the ocean.
With your support, we can:
Increase the number of juvenile pāua we release into the wild.
Support local marine biodiversity and replenish natural populations in depleted areas.
Continue our long-term goal of ocean restoration and sustainable pearl farming.
Your donation directly supports the next generation of pāua, helping us restock our marine habitats and ensure that pāua continue to thrive for generations to come.
With gratitude from our island home,
Antonia, Mike, and the Radon Family
Arapawa Blue Pearls & Homestead, Arapaoa Island
Use of funds
Funds will expand our pāua reseeding programme, nurturing baby pāua, and releasing them into the wild to restore marine biodiversity around New Zealand.
Other page links
Latest update
Why We’re Extending Our Fundraiser 16 September 2026
Thank you to everyone who has backed our Pāua Reseeding Project.
We are extending this Givealittle page to 11 December 2026. This gives us more time to raise funds and plan the next stage with care.
Work by Shawn Gerrity and David Schiel found good signs from young pāua raised at Arapawa and released after the Kaikōura quake. Three to four years on, hatchery pāua made up almost 12% of the pāua found at the release sites. Many had also grown to breeding size. The study showed that the right site, safe habitat and long-term checks are key.
We now want to look at a small, monitored release of young pāua in the Marlborough Sounds. Before we make a final plan, we need to review possible sites, talk with the local iwi or hapū, check all permit and biosecurity rules, set a fair budget, make a way to track results and find the right experts and local groups to help.
No site, date or number of pāua has been set. This short extension is for the planning stage. It does not mean a release will take place by December. We want to do the work first and only make promises once we know the plan is sound, safe and of real value to the wild stock.
All gifts will stay with the Pāua Reseeding Project and help us prepare for its next stage. We will share clear news as the work moves ahead.
Thank you for helping us give wild pāua a better chance.
Antonia, Mike and the Arapawa team
Latest donations
Hi Michael, Thankyou for your message. Talei is the greatest! We are very proud to have you on our team. Thanks so much for your donation, and we so look forward to meeting you someday soon! Mike & Antonia
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