February 04, 2015
Rampant trout threaten galaxia
A University of Canterbury researcher is warning trout may have to be removed from some rivers and streams to protect native species from extinction.
Dr Simon Howard, who investigated the survival of bignose and upland longjaw galaxias in catchments of the South Island’s Waitaki River, says the majority of New Zealand’s native freshwater fish species are threatened or at risk of extinction.
He says galaxiids, which are one of the species that make up whitebait, appear to require a specific set of habitat conditions, which makes them vulnerable to human-induced changes in river flows.
Trout are also a threat.
Dr Howard says survival of species may require a cautious approach to altering remaining flows in streams where they occur, and it could also require trout removal and the installation of barriers to limit trout re-introduction and movement.
Copyright © 2015, UMA Broadcasting Ltd: www.waateanews.com