Threatened fish rescued during Kapiti Coast river work

Nearly 1700 fish including threatened species were rescued in Te Awa Waikanae during recent erosion protection work on the Kapiti Coast, overseen by the Waikanae ki Uta ki Tai partnership.

Nine ‘Nationally Vulnerable’ piharau, or lamprey, were safely relocated by kaitiaki from Ātiawa ki Whakarongotai while helping with fish rescue in the river estuary, a Department of Conservation (DOC) Scientific Reserve.

Te Ātiawa ki Whakarongotai kaumātua, Les Mullen, says “the penny dropped” as he monitored each day of the work recontouring a gravel island that was causing erosion in the reserve.

“To see piharau shows the health of the awa is improving, and that work to stop erosion can be done safely to protect mahinga kai and taonga species,” Matua Les says.

“Now the work in the reserve is complete, the awa is doing its own recontouring - shaping pockets where fishermen will soon wait for īnanga (whitebait) and trout to run.”

Fish from 13 different species were released upstream and down of the river work during the Stantec led fish rescue, including ‘Declining’ longfin eel and torrent fish, and ‘Naturally Uncommon’ giant bullies.

DOC operations manager Angus Hulme-Moir from the Waikanae ki Uta ki Tai governance group says pheromone samplers installed by mana whenua in February detected the presence of juvenile piharau in the awa.  

“It was very cool to see this threatened fish in the flesh, and that Ātiawa kaitiaki could reconnect with a taonga species,” Hulme-Moir says. “Hats off to the rangatahi (young people) who helped with this work.”

Greater Wellington’s work in the reserve was supported by Waikanae ki Uta ki Tai, a partnership of Ātiawa ki Whakarongotai, DOC, the regional council and the Kāpiti Coast District Council (KCDC).

Governance group member and Greater Wellington Environment Committee chair Penny Gaylor says low tides and settled weather helped Māori owned Kapiti contractor Mills Albert Ltd complete all the river work in the last week of Matariki.

“In tight time frames, our contractor was amazing, safely reshaping the riverbed and leaving gravel along the shore to protect walking tracks from erosion,” Cr Gaylor says.

“Greater Wellington takes great care with river work. We defend communities from erosion and flooding, but we also protect river ecosystems and the wildlife they sustain.”

Kapiti Coast District Mayor and governance group chair Janet Holborow says the volume of healthy fish found, including piharau, is a positive sign.

“This find is particularly pleasing for the Waikanae ki Uta ki Tai group. Our collaboration over the past few years has gone from strength to strength, and now we’re beginning to see our collective action reflected in the improving health of this precious taonga,” Mayor Holborow says.

Fish habitats in Te Awa Waikanae are also being restored by Waikanae ki Uta ki Tai partners through native planting. 

Families are encouraged to bring spades to the Waikanae Awa Community Planting Day on Saturday 16 August between 10am and 2pm at the corner of Makora and Otaihanga roads in Otaihanga.