Botched Mudfish transfer shocks Fish & Game
Reports that nearly 1000 native fish have died in a botched transfer project costing ratepayers $160,000 have horrified Fish & Game.
The project that involved the recent transfer of 921 rare black mudfish organised by Carterton District Council under expert advice provided by Council consultants has resulted in virtually none surviving.
The wetland site at Daleton Road, Carterton is also used to discharge partially treated wastewater from the District Council Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Fish & Game were perturbed by recent comments from freshwater ecologist Angus McIntosh that were implying that trout could have been the cause of fish loss.
Wellington Fish & Game Manager Phil Teal notes that there are no trout at the site, and the failure was much more likely to be from poor habitat.
"This is a classic diversionary 'red herring' tactic to deflect attention away from a flawed process and mismanagement of an at-risk native species," Mr Teal says.
"Fish & Game have purchased and managed thousands of hectares of wetland not only for waterfowl habitat but for native fish habitat.
"We know what the habitat requirements are for native fish, and a Fish & Game senior scientist even advised the project co-ordinators last year that this project was not advisable, but his concerns were dismissed. Sadly, his predictions were proven correct."
The public should be demanding answers from the Council.
"We are keen to know how this project got the go-ahead, who was responsible for providing management advice and funding approvals.
"An independent inquiry by the Department of Conservation is needed. This must cover the approvals, pre-release assessments, and investigating how the funding for this conservation project was managed.
"If any member of the public had caused the loss of nearly 1000 mudfish, which have been compared by fish experts as rare as Great Spotted Kiwi, then there would be severe consequences.
"This is $160,000 of ratepayers' money that would be much better used on meaningful conservation projects that would benefit all fish habitat."
Categories
Archive
- August 2022
- July 2022
- June 2022
- May 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022
- February 2022
- January 2022
- December 2021
- November 2021
- October 2021
- September 2021
- August 2021
- July 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- October 2019
- September 2019
- July 2019
- June 2019
- May 2019
- April 2019
- March 2019
- February 2019
- January 2019
- December 2018
- November 2018
- October 2018
- September 2018
- August 2018
- July 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
- March 2018
- February 2018
- January 2018
- December 2017
- November 2017
- October 2017
- September 2017
- August 2017
- July 2017
- June 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- March 2017
- February 2017
- January 2017
- December 2016
- November 2016
- October 2016
- September 2016
- August 2016
- July 2016
- June 2016
- May 2016
- April 2016
- March 2016
- February 2016
- January 2016
- December 2015
- November 2015
- October 2015
- September 2015
- August 2015
- July 2015
- June 2015
- May 2015
- April 2015
- March 2015
- February 2015
- December 2013
- March 2013
- September 2012
- July 2012