‘It’s devastating’: Generations-old eel population wiped out in Wairoa stream

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council is investigating what caused hundreds of eels to die in the Waiatai Stream in the Waiatai Valley near Wairoa.

Hundreds of tuna (eels), including breeding stock thought to be 40 to 50 years old, have been found dead in the Waiatai Stream near Wairoa.

Darren Hill, whose family has farmed the land in the Waiatai Valley for generations, noticed something wasn’t right on Sunday.

“My farm is near the Waiatai drain,” Hill said.

“On Sunday, when I went to pump out of the main drain, all the eels in it around my pump area were on the surface trying to breathe.

“The colour of the water was shocking. It was a deep brown colour with a film on top, and it smelled like diesel.

“I didn’t know what was going on.”

By Monday evening, there were dead eels everywhere.

Hill phoned his daughter Kate Eaglesome, who lives on Kairangi Station further downstream.

Eaglesome said she went straight out to the pump where her family have been feeding the eels for years.

They were all dead.

There are dead eels as far as the eye can see in the Waiatai Stream near Wairoa.

A spokesperson for the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council said the council was alerted late on Monday, January 12, to a number of tuna (eel) deaths in the stream.

“We understand how concerning this is and want to reassure the community that these reports are being taken seriously.

“Our teams have been at the location to carry out an initial assessment. Water and fish samples have been collected, which will help us determine what may have caused the deaths.”

Eaglesome said she was angry and upset.

“There’s nothing left alive in the stream. Usually, when you fill a bucket with stream water, there are all sorts of bugs and insects in it.

“There’s nothing. There are no bugs, no fish, not even any dragonflies flying above it, and certainly no eels. It’s all gone.

“The only thing you can see is dead eels, fish and flies. There’s also a terrible smell coming from the water. It’s devastating.”

She said she had grown up with the stream as her backyard.

“I’m 38 years old and was born and raised here. I’ve swum in the stream and know it well.

“We go to the stream a lot with the kids, teaching them about preservation and looking after everything and appreciating what we have here.

“To see it all gone like that was devastating for all of us.”

Eaglesome said she was no scientist, but “it looked like there was a chemical residue on top of the water”.

She said she was also worried about the seagulls eating the eels that had managed to get up onto the back of the stream before dying.

”We don’t know what killed the eels and we don’t know if it will affect the birds."

Hill estimates almost 10km of the stream has been affected.

“There are all these critics saying, oh, it’s temperature, and it’s probably contamination from an old spring or swamp or whatever.

“I have my theories, but I’ll keep them to myself until we have proof.”

Both father and daughter have taken water samples.

Hill said he had been told that it could take up to five years for the stream to recover.

“I’m absolutely gutted, and I want answers.”

Wairoa Mayor Craig Little stated that the Wairoa District Council was also informed of the situation.

“This sits under the jurisdiction of the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council. It is a very concerning situation, and we support continued investigation into the cause.”

The HBRC spokesperson said at this stage, it was too early to confirm the cause, and further investigation was underway.

“We will continue to monitor the situation closely and will keep the Wairoa community updated as more information becomes available.”

The Waiatai Valley is an area of cultural significance to local iwi.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.