February 27, 2024
Runaka search for clues on tuna die off
Māori in Murihiku hope an Environment Southland investigation into the death of thousands of eels and other fish species in a tributary of the Mataura River can stop it from happening again.
Last week several thousand eels were found strewn along 12 kilometres of Low Burn Stream, which has for generations supplied local hapū with freshwater kai.
Riki Parata, the kaiārihi taiao or environmental lead for the Hokonui Rūnanga, says there are about 180 farms along the river, and mismanagement by industry and community have all contributed pollution.
“In the last hundred, hundred and fifty years its been heavily degraded. I think it’s in the top five rivers for high e-coli in New Zealand. And so we’re on a bit of a mission to try and get that awareness out there, and get some practices in place to try and bring it back,” he says.
The four Murihiku Ngai Tahu rūnaka are trying to develop wider official and community support for their Reimagining Mataura initiative – an awa and whenua management approach to the Mataura river system.
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