Fishing News index> June 2008

Fish & Game West Coast news

At a time when electricity energy issues (in particular shortages) are to the forefront nationally, proposed hydro schemes are also dominating the activity of Fish & Game locally.

Following a lengthy delay TrustPower’s proposed Arnold scheme goes back before the Commissioners in late June, and the Hearing of Meridian Energy’s application for a scheme on the Mokihinui is set down for late August.

In the case of Arnold River TrustPower and Fish & Game have a signed agreement on a suite of resource consent and adaptive management conditions that have been recommended to the Hearing Panel.

When hearings resume TrustPower will present rebuttal evidence in relation to other submissions, after which the Panel will make a decision. Should the decision be unsatisfactory to any submitter the matter is open for an appeal to the Environment Court.

Meanwhile the Mokihinui application is in the early stages and detailed discussion with Meridian Energy has yet to commence. The proposed  Mokihinui scheme would involve an 80-85m high dam approximately 3km upstream from the township of Seddonville. This would result in the formation of a 340ha lake extending about 14km upstream, but not inundating any of the Forks Ecological area. While there is a multitude of conservation issues surrounding the scheme the primary ones for Fish & Game involve;

• The likely effects on the back country/wilderness fishery.
• The effects of the dam on larger migrant trout
• Effects of the impoundment on large trout abundance
• A submission in objection has been lodged on these and other grounds.

Chris Tonkin
Manager

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