January 19, 2015
Iwi joins council to save taonga fish
Ngai Tahu and Environment Canterbury have come together to rescue and relocate fish species from the low-flowing Rakahuri/Ashley and Waipara rivers.
Environment Canterbury park ranger Makarini Rupene was alerted by a member of the public to stranded eels on the south bank of the Rakahuri.
A rescue mission was mounted, assessing every remaining waterhole within the dried river channels and using a combination of digging in muddy areas and electric fishing equipment that momentarily stuns fish species so they can be caught without stress.
On the first day Mr Rupene and his team were able to rescue and relocate 35 tuna, two rare kanakana or lamprey eel, patiki, hundreds of lowland bullies and torrent fish, two rare mudfish and several galaxiid species, which were released into the Little Ashley River.
He says they focused on core mahinga kai species, while Fish & Game worked to save other species like stranded salmon and trout.
He says low flows in the Canterbury river systems are not uncommon but the current flows are the worst he has seen in the last eight years and could get worse.
Te Marino Lenihan, Ngai Tahu's Tangata Tiaki Customary Fisheries Guardian, says the exercise shows the greater level of trust that has developed between the two organisations, and could lead to stronger relationships with other organisations such as Forest & Bird and Fish & Game.
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