Fishing News index>April 2007

North Canterbury News Round-up

Steve Terry, Fish and Game NZ

Salmon Monitoring

Staff have carried out the first aerial salmon count in the Rakaia and Waimakariri Rivers. Numbers appear to be significantly improved on 2006. Staff have also conducted a pre-season assessment of key spawning grounds and found the streams to be in excellent condition.

Drift Diving Program

Staff have helped the Nelson/Marlborough and West Coast Regions conduct their annual drift dive surveys of the Motueka Grey Rivers in February. Staff and volunteers have conducted the annual drift dive survey of the Hurunui River in March.

Selwyn River Trout

Jason has lodged the necessary resource consent with Environment Canterbury to allow the operation of a fish trap in the lower Selwyn. Spawning trout surveys on the Selwyn River have been undertaken many times since the 1940s, with the most recent count occurring in 2004. These surveys provide vital information regarding the health of the Selwyn River trout fishery - formerly a world-renowned resource which is now more famous for probably being the most degraded trout fishery in the country. It is hoped we will have a resource consent in time to begin the count before the end of April.

Species Database – Illegal Tench Releases

In April 2006, DoC and F&G were notified of some small tench being observed in the Groynes boating lake. In November 2006 another new tench site was discovered at a newly created pond (less than two years old) in Ferrymead. In January 2007 tench were discovered at the Clearwater Resort Lakes by an eel fisherman. All of the sites were not known to support tench populations in the past and were very likely to be the result of a illegal fish releases.

Following these reports DoC and F&G organised a survey of these new tench populations. Besides the original 11 small tench caught in Ferrymead, another 4 up to 150mm were caught, which are likely to have originated from the same release. No adult fish were caught. Plans are in place to eradicate tench from the pond at Ferrymead. A total of 40 fish were caught at two boating lakes at the Groynes, ranging from 69 - 510mm. It is likely that small fish at this site were results of the larger fish spawning. All of the smaller fish were of similar size, and are likely to have originated from the same spawning season, indicating that big fish were probably released in the lakes two to three years ago. Only small fish were caught at two of the Clearwater lakes and three adult fish were caught at the adjacent spring fed pond. DoC and F&G are considering a range of options to deal with these illegal releases including closing of these waters for coarse fishing to discourage further illegal movement of coarse fish.

Salmon By-catch

The Fish & Game salmon verifier programme finished on 14 February 07. Only two trips were made to the Salmon Exclusion Area. The F&G verifier went on four trips in total lasting 11 days and recorded only two salmon as by-catch.

Species Rescue

Staff rescued 12 adult Brown trout; 5 x 2yr olds; 6 yearlings, and 1 adult salmon from the Ashley River upstream of SHI. Further rescue work will probably be required as the river dries upstream.

Salmon Enhancement Program

60,000 salmon and 40 000 rainbow trout continue to grow well at Montrose. Staff and 80 volunteers fin-clipped all of the salmon in early March. We again thank New Zealand King Salmon for their continued support of this program with the donation of food for both the trout and salmon. As of early April, adult salmon are beginning to enter the trap.

Lake Coleridge Salmon Releases

Staff released 4,500 x 80 gram smolt into the Ryton Bay at Lake Coleridge. These salmon were in excellent condition and were donated to us by NIWA as they were surplus to requirements.

Regulations

The Angling Regulations are due for review this year. The meeting of the Angling Regulations Working Party will be held on 6 June 2007 starting 7pm at Fish & Game office.

A petition has been received from anglers concerned about salmon being caught in nets in the lower Waimakariri. This is an issue that F&G is already working on (principally through surveys of set nets in the Rakaia Lagoon) with a view to seeking changes to the set net regulations. In recent days a letter has been received from the New Zealand Salmon Anglers Association asking that the lower Waimakariri not be closed to recreational set netting.

Game Bird Control

Permits have been issued to control ducks and pukekos damaging farmer’s crops.

Canada Goose Culls

Hunting at the Bromley Farm is continuing after a three week break (15 Feb – 9 Mar) due to a complaint from the owners of the adjacent property. The rules for hunting at the farm have been changed to ensure wider safety zone margins, a limitation to the type of ammunition and loads able to be used and the requirement to have two team leaders at each shoot. Hunting has now been resumed and 331 birds have been shot so far this summer.

Resource Consents

Central Plains Water

Central Plains Water recently lodged a new resource consent application with Environment Canterbury. Despite the media releases from CPW claiming this will allay many environmental concerns about the scheme, in actual fact it will make no difference to Fish & Game. The only change is that a small fraction of the water distribution system will now be tunnelled under the ground instead of being an open water race. Nothing else has changed.

We have no formal indication from ECan about a joint hearing date, though there is some speculation it may begin in mid-June.

Ngai Tahu Property Ltd

Jason and Davor have attended two further mediation sessions regarding our appeal of Ngai Tahu Property Ltd’s proposed water intake at Browns Rock on the Waimakariri River. It seems increasingly likely that a formal Court hearing will be required.

Rakaia-Selwyn Groundwater

Jason attended this hearing in mid-2006 to express opposition to the granting of further groundwater takes from this already over-allocated zone. Despite the recommendations of ECan staff to decline these consents, a preliminary decision was released recently by the independent commissioners which suggests all consents will be granted. The commissioners also asked ECan staff to draft up possible conditions for these consents. Until these conditions are available, it is difficult to know exactly what our likely next course of action will be.

Ryton Bay

Jason understands that ECan and SDC will jointly notify all resource consent applications relating to the proposed Ryton Bay development. Notification is not expected before 14 April.

Other resource consents

Jason has lodged submissions with Environment Canterbury opposing a request from an irrigator to lower the minimum flow of the Cam River; to a stormwater discharge into the Tramway Reserve Drain (aka Leeston Creek) from a proposed new subdivision of ~300 lots; and to a groundwater take with a possible hydraulic connection to the Rakaia River.

Also during this period, Jason has provided feedback to the CCC who are in the early stages of reviewing sewage treatment and disposal options in the Little River area; a lower Rakaia farmer considering a mini-hydro scheme off the North-North Branch of the Rakaia River; a Hurunui farmer considering stream restoration works along a tributary of the Pahau River; and an upper Rakaia River farmer in relation to works affecting the Glenariffe Stream.

Local Plans

Proposed Natural Resources Regional Plan

The long-running hearings process for this very important plan continues. Over this period Jason has attended two further hearings in relation to the Wetlands and Water Quantity chapters. Hearings are scheduled until at least October 2008, with Environment Court proceedings to follow. Canterbury is therefore unlikely to have an operative regional plan until at least 2010.

Review of the Regional Policy Statement 1998

Environment Canterbury have recently begun a formal review of the RPS, which is the pre-eminent planning document in the Canterbury Region. Jason recently attended a useful meeting with ECan staff and other interested parties which set out some of the issues under consideration. Two areas which are at the forefront of this review are climate change and protection of natural features and landscapes. Decision-making on these issues may have serious implications for Fish & Game values, particularly if increased pressure on our large braided rivers through more water takes (rather than tailoring land use to minimise drought risk) is seen as the answer to climate change concerns.

RMA Compliance

Jason and Tony Mottashed met with a farmer to discuss the operation of the Lower Rakaia Diversion Group discharge into the North Branch of the Rakaia River. Both Jason and Tony are pleased to report that the farmer has been entirely cooperative and very responsive to our suggestions regarding maintaining flows along the North Branch to provide for fish passage.

Crown Pastoral Leasehold and Land Tenure Review 1216

Jason and Brian joined our Central South Island counterparts in a visit to Glenfalloch Station to assess the sportsfish and gamebird values on that property. Councillors are encouraged to contact Jason and pass on any information regarding that property, or others currently proceeding through the Tenure Review process (including Manuka Point, Cora Lynn, Snowdale, and The Poplars).

iHighbank Tailrace Fish BarrierHHqshkdigh

Fish Screens Working Party

Progress has been made towards the introduction of screen standards with NIWA completing an independent report on fish screen design criteria. The report supports the design criteria proposed by F&G and DoC. The second draft of the report is currently under the review.

Lowland River Advocacy

F&G staff helped Lincoln University researchers organise a perception survey of North Canterbury anglers on the value of lowland streams in the Lake Ellesmere catchment. Staff attended the Selwyn River conference held at ECan on 30 March.

Phone Surveys

Over 500 anglers are being phoned weekly until the end of April to gather information on angler catch and effort in relation to river flow, to help combat increasing pressure for water abstraction in the region.

Didymo Awareness

Staff provided Didymo free spray bottles and promotional material to Rakaia Salmon Fishing Competition entrants and distributed free spray bottles to the angling tackle retailers and to some angling clubs.

Young Angler Training

Staff and volunteers transferred in excess of 400 large salmon (1-3kg) from the Silverstream Hatchery to the Groynes in early March. The fish were kindly donated by NIWA for this programme. On Friday 23 March, staff and volunteers organised a fishing trip at the Groynes for special need students from Allendale School. For most of the students this trip was their first contact with fishing.

Statutory Liaison

Jason has attended a further meeting in Wellington regarding the Government’s Sustainable Water Programme of Action.

Media Liaison

Jason has responded to several requests from local newspapers wanting comment on the recent preliminary decision to grant consent to 69 applicants for groundwater in the Rakaia-Selwyn zone.

Public Liaison

Jason visited Swannanoa School and spoke to a class of keen young students about Fish & Game and our roles and responsibilities.

Angler Hunter Relations

Staff continue to record weekly fishing reports which are broadcast on News Talk ZB a number of times each Friday afternoon. These reports are also emailed to over 4,000 anglers on our database. Daily river flow and fishing condition information are also left on the Fish & Game answer phone. Staff and honorary rangers have assisted Laurie and Alison Adams with the annual Ranger’s Trophy competition which was held in early March. Many thanks to the generosity of the sponsors.

Landowner Liaison

Steve and a number of Councillors visited high country landowners in the upper Rakaia Valley during the last eight weeks.

Ranging

Rangers were organised to undertake a compliance operation during the Rakaia fishing competition.