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Ngati Kahungunu has rescued more than 20 tonnes of eels from the former Masterton sewage oxidation ponds.
Kahungunu ki Wairarapa chair Nelson Rangi says that's about half of the estimated 80,000 tuna that have made the Homebush ponds their home.
Some of the eels have gone into the new ponds, while homes have been found for the rest in other Wairarapa lakes and streams.
Mr Rangi says while there is a lot of concern for introduced trout, the welfare of native eels is often overlooked.
"For a start they look more like snakes than fish. They're nocturnal. They're secretive and they burrow into mud and go into all the insignificant places. Mainstream New Zealanders tend to look down on eels, yet despite that in a lot of countries eels are a delicacy and they command quite high prices," he says.
Mr Rangi says the precedent set by Ngati Kahunungu should be looked at in other areas where populations of eel may need to be transferred.
Copyright © 2013, UMA Broadcasting Ltd
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