Results inconclusive after more than 250 short-finned eels found dead in Hastings stream

Now over 250 short-finned eels have been found dead in Ruahapia Stream and there are still no answers as to why. Photo / Supplied

After a two-month wait test results on the water samples and dead eels found in Hastings Ruahapia Stream have come back inconclusive.

Last month the Hawke's Bay Regional Council (HBRC) announced they had found more than 100 dead eels in the Ruahapia Stream area.

At the time it was believed that the 100 eels were long-fin tuna.

However, the HBRC has confirmed that, in fact, more than 250 short-finned eels were found dead.

When first discovered, a pollution incident in the stream was believed to be related to the eels' cause of death.

Team members from the HBRC and Hastings District Council were working together to get to the bottom of the pollution incident and eel death.

Although initially a pollution event was named as a possible cause of death the council has still not announced what the pollution event was thought to be.

Since then, the HBRC has been working with Hastings District Council to narrow down the cause of death.

HBRC policy & regulation group manager Katrina Brunton said, "Final testing results for both the eels and the water samples have proved inconclusive as to what caused the mass casualty event which killed over 250 short-finned eels in the Ruahapia Stream area."

Investigations are to continue with additional testing and inspections of the stream and discharges undertaken by the Hawke's Bay Regional Council and Hastings District Council staff.

If you have any information surrounding the mass casualty event killing more than 250 eels in the Ruahapia Stream area, contact the 24/7 Pollution Hotline on 0800 108 838, which can be done anonymously.