Future of longfin eel in jeopardy - report
By Rebecca Fox, on Saturday 4 May 2013
Otago Daily Times
Otago freshwater scientists back the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment's call for a ban on commercial fishing of longfin eels.
A report released by commissioner Dr Jan Wright recently shows the native longfin eel is on a ''slow path to extinction''.
Her findings were partly based on Otago Regional Council research on freshwater fish numbers, including eels.
Council water resource scientists Matt Dale said longfin eels were found in most of Otago's coastal rivers that were open to the sea, as well as the tributaries of the Clutha, downstream of the Roxburgh dam. However, as shown in the commissioner's report, there was a drop in the number of young longfin eels across Otago, he said.
The Clutha hydro dams had prevented longfin eels from accessing ''about one-third of their potential habitat in Otago''.
''The dams also kill most adult eels that try to migrate downstream.''
As longfin eels took more than 80 years to grow to maturity, they had to evade eel fishermen at least 10 times, so the odds of them surviving to maturity were minimal.
The eel was being ''managed to extinction'' by Government agencies responsible for their protection and a lack of action after this report would be ''wilful negligence'', he said.
''Closure of the fishery, essential if the species is to survive, will have little impact on the total catch of eels, given that shortfin eel will still be available.''
He believed the only way ''sustainable exploitation'' of eels could occur was if either the South or North Island's fisheries were permanently closed to fishing.
Dunedin freshwater fish specialist Dr Terry Broad, who did his PhD on longfin eels, said the problems had been around for at least 10 years.
He agreed bans on commercial fishing were needed but long-term it might only be needed on areas below dams as above them eels were ''doomed to die''.
''They're in a goldfish bowl. That is not protecting them.''
Mr Broad believed there were more than 20 fishermen with quotas for eel in Otago.
Forest and Bird last month presented a 5000-plus petition to Parliament calling for a moratorium.
''New Zealand has already lost too many native species to extinction, and we must not lose another,'' Forest and Bird's advocacy manager, Kevin Hackwell, said.
''They are of particular significance to Maori, both as a cultural icon, and for their value as a source of kai.''
The commissioner's report was a well-considered scientific document that served as yet another major red flag to the minister, who needed to act urgently, before it was too late, Mr Hackwell said.
''The longfin eel will not survive without an immediate moratorium. The species' fate is in the minister's hands.''
Commercial eel fishermen spokesman Bill Chisholm said the commercial eel fishery supported more than 100 jobs and $10 million in export earnings.
Longfin eel stocks were recovering, mainly due to the enhancement efforts of commercial and customary fishermen.
''The report appears to ignore this,'' Mr Chisholm said. ''All the issues about eel harvesting were addressed a decade ago by joint committees of commercial and customary fishermen, and longfin eels are now responding positively to the measures they implemented at that time.''
Recommending that commercial eel fishermen ''go bust'' while eel habitat is threatened by ''hydro dammers, water abstractors and polluters is ridiculous''.
They questioned Doc's ability to manage longfin eel habitat, saying its ''advocacy for eel habitats has been ineffectual at best'', Mr Chisholm said. The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and the Department of Conservation (Doc) welcomed the report.
Doc director-general Al Morrison and MPI deputy director Scott Gallacher said staff would work together to address the report's recommendations.
''We take our responsibilities for this species very seriously, and welcome any insights the Parliamentary Commissioner can offer,'' they said.
''We will take the time to digest the PCE's recommendations, and we will work together in reviewing and responding to them.''
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Longfin eels:
• Found only in New Zealand, mostly in rivers and lakes.
• Grow up to 2m long.
• Can weigh more than 20kg.
• Can live to 60 to 80 years.
• Named because its top (dorsal) fin is longer than its bottom fin.
• Are usually dark brown to grey black.
• Eat ''live'' food such as insect larvae, worms and water snails.
• Bigger eels feed on fish and even small birds.
• Hunt at night by smell.
• Breed only once, at the end of their life.
• Leave New Zealand to travel 5000km to the tropical Pacific to spawn.
• Females lay millions of eggs and the larvae reach New Zealand by drifting on ocean currents before taking an eel shape to enter fresh water.
• On average, males migrate at age 23; females at 34. Adults never return as they die after spawning.
• South Island allowable catch of longfin and shortfin eels combined 539 tonnes North Island allowable catch of longfin eels 170 tonnes
The findings:
Parliamentary Commissioner for Environment found longfin eels are on a path to extinction because of.-
• Loss of habitat.
• Extermination campaign in the 1950s.
• Dam building.
• Commercial fishing.
Recommendations:
• Suspension of commercial catch of longfin eels.
• Increased protection.
• Independent specialist peer review panel to reassess the science.
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Future Of Longfin Eel In Jeopardy
Friday, January 6, 2012
Contact Vies For More Time
Contact vies for more time to establish hydro scheme
By Lucy Ibbotson, on Friday 6 January 2012
Otago Daily Times
Contact Energy has asked for more time to establish a hydroelectric scheme at Lake Hawea, citing the global economic downturn and seasonal construction constraints as reasons for the delay in exercising the project's original consent.
Contact has proposed the construction and operation of a small-scale hydro-generation facility in the outfall control structure of the existing Lake Hawea dam.
It secured an original land use consent from the Queenstown Lakes District Council in 2007 for the 17.2MW Hawea Gates Generation Project, due to lapse on February 7.
Contact also holds associated consents granted by the Otago Regional Council with expiry periods of 10 and 15 years, lapsing on various dates in 2017 and 2022. It wants to extend the expiry date of the QLDC consent another five years, to July 16, 2017, to coincide with the regional council consents.
Contact hydro-development project manager Neil Gillespie said, while Contact was "continuing to progress, giving effect to the consent", it was not possible to complete the final design and construction of the project within the current QLDC consent period.
The extension application said a combination of "technical, practical and economic constraints" were behind the delay.
The project was not straightforward as it involved "retrofitting a modern tailor-made generation plant to existing infrastructure", making the economic risks of project high, the application stated.
A final investment decision could not be made by the current lapse date, a situation "exacerbated by the global economic downturn and associated slower-than-anticipated growth in electricity demand since 2008".
Also, because initial construction work had to be performed "in-river", the project was limited by the ORC consents and seasonal constraints, which had contributed to its extended duration.
The project requires modifying the Hawea dam structure, on Contact-owned land, by constructing twin powerhouses; installing a generation plant; altering the intake structure; installing penstocks through the existing sluices; strengthening some existing works; and carrying out earthworks and upgrades to access roads.
Mr Gillespie said the extension would help achieve the objectives of the QLDC district plan and was an efficient and sustainable use of the resources.
"It's a great little project, renewable, small scale, and makes the most of an untapped resource, the water already being spilled through the dam.
"Importantly, the development involves no long-term changes to the river environment."
It would take up to 36 months to complete the final design and construction, and the expected timeframe to complete all work is no later than 2017, in line with the current ORC consents.
Contact was "still working through [geotechnical] information" on the four other Clutha River locations identified as options for hydroelectric dams - Luggate, Queensberry, Beaumont and Tuapeka Mouth - Mr Gillespie said.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Missing Man's Body Returned Home
Missing man's body returned home
By Barbara Withington, on Tuesday 10 February 2011
Southland Times
For some it meant closure, others saw it as nothing short of a miracle.
Family members gathered at the Beaumont Jet office yesterday morning as the body of Paul Wilson was bought ashore from the swollen Clutha River, ending seven days of searching since the 28-year-old civil engineer went missing in the Talla Burn stream while collecting water samples.
With the Clutha River flowing at about 1300 cumecs (normal flow about 800 cumecs), dropping from a high of almost 1550 cumecs on Tuesday morning, fears had been held Mr Wilson's body would never be recovered.
In normal river flow, the body of 16-year-old Darryl Walker, who dived into the Clutha River 1km south of Roxburgh on November 11, 2008, was never found.
In a media release, Detective Sergeant Derek Shaw said Dave Crawford, of Beaumont Jet, continued to observe the river and had discovered Mr Wilson's body about 11am.
"We believe Mr Wilson has always been within the search area but had only recently become visible," Mr Shaw said yesterday.
Police also thanked Central Otago LandSar, volunteer searchers, local farmers and Contact Energy, who all assisted in the search.
Mr Wilson had been the project engineer for Talla Burn Generation, a run-of-the-river power scheme developed by his father Jeff Wilson in partnership with Beaumont Station owner Alan Hore.
The scheme began producing up to 2.6megawatts of power in early November.
One of the conditions placed by the Otago Regional Council on the project was that regular water samples be taken, and it was while he was carrying out sampling of the Talla Burn in flood that Mr Wilson disappeared.
Senior Sergeant Andy Reed, who was involved in the search for and recovery of Mr Wilson, was a neighbour of Mr Wilson's parents but said he felt the loss no more than anyone else.
"Anyone in Roxburgh who has anything to do with the family will be feeling it for them," Mr Reed said.
The matter has been referred to the coroner.
Mr Wilson's family asked for privacy
Saturday, August 21, 2010
ORC Concern Over Dam Safety Rules
ORC concern over dam safety rules
By Rebecca Fox, on Saturday 21 August 2010
Otago Daily Times
The Otago Regional Council does not think dam owners are capable of managing safety under a more relaxed regulatory regime.
A new dam safety scheme, due to have come into effect in July, was delayed to allow for an independent review after concerns about its potential compliance costs.
That review found the scheme was needed but required modifying to improve its efficiency and reduce compliance costs.
It also recommended the definition of a large dam be increased, eliminating an estimated 36% of "low-impact dams" from the requirements of the scheme.
The Department of Building and Housing consulted on the review, receiving 33 submissions, including one from the Otago Regional Council.
It would now analyse the submissions and report back to Government in the next month "or so" with advice on which recommendations should be implemented, a department spokesman said.
The regional council has been the building consent authority responsible for dams in Otago since May 2008 and for dams in Southland and the West Coast from July 2008.
In its submissions on the proposed changes, the council said dam owners had not demonstrated to the council they would be "capable of responsibly managing safety" under a more relaxed regulatory regime.
"Further experience shows that the industry is not meeting regulatory requirements that have existed under the Building Act for almost two decades."
Council environmental engineering and natural hazards director, Gavin Palmer, said in an interview dam safety was very important, as unlike most other structures, the effects of any failure would be felt off-site.
"Its an important issue . . . for anybody who lives downstream of a dam . . . who is thinking of buying property."
At present, there was a "vacuum" in the power available to the council to act if it had concerns about the "integrity" of a dam, although it did if there was immediate danger, he said.
Under the scheme as it stood, dam owners would have had to inform the council of their ownership, but with the proposed reduction in size, there would be no legal requirement for owners of smaller dams to do so.
"It makes it hard to assess the scale of the problem."
As to the suggestion of centralising the dam safety scheme functions, the council only believed it would work if central government took on all the Building Act dam responsibilities.
Otherwise, it was comfortable with the requirements to stay with regional councils.
"It's really important it is done as a coherent whole."
The Department of Building and Housing said the review recommended the authorities administering the dam safety scheme should have the power to deal with risky "smaller" dams.
This power would enable dams that would not otherwise be in the scheme to be managed, he said.
