Horizons Regional Council is asking whitebaiters to donate their catch for a trial of new fish passes designed to boost native fish populations.
The passes, installed in priority catchments for native fish under the Manawatū River Leaders’ Accord, aim to overcome man made barriers and help fish migrate freely upstream.
Designed by Horizons’ operations team in consultation with NIWA, the passes use rocks and concrete to create baffles which fish can swim up through.
Horizons senior environmental scientist for water quality Logan Brown says the first pass to be tested will be at Kara Stream in Kingston Road where Horizons will work with NIWA to release whitebait at the bottom of the pass and measure how many make it to the top.
“Inanga are one of five whitebait species in New Zealand and they make up 90 percent of the whitebait catch,” Mr Brown says.
“Inanga are diadromous meaning they spend half their life in freshwater and half their life at sea. Unfortunately things like weirs, dams and perched culverts restrict their habitat migration but we’re hopeful these new fish passes will enable fish to make it to upstream breeding grounds and grow the population.
“This testing will help us see how effective the passes are or whether we need to do more to aid their journey.”
The whitebait season runs from 15 August to 30 November and Horizons plans to carry out its first fish pass test in September.
Whitebaiters interested in donating some of their catch are asked to contact Logan Brown on toll free number 0508 800 800. Tanks will be set up to house live whitebait until the test takes place.