Comments on: Lifeline for our Longfin Eels

By: Mike Joy

Mike Joy — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 05:27:02 +0000

Andrea, they can be farmed only if taken from wild and fattened they cannot be bred. The natural breeding takes place in the Pacific Ocean many kilometers deep, so trying to match these conditions is near enough to impossible. Some scientist at tghe Maharangi Technical Institute have managed to strip eggs and fertilise them but the the larvae soon die probably because the deep ocean conditions cannot be matched.
Sorry i dont know of Iwi or hapu monitoring eels, you could try Caleb Royal at the Wananga-o-Raukawa in Otaki. The only natural predators of mature eels i know of are shags, but not the big eels. Juvenile eels would be eaten by other fish, and birds. The list of threats to eels you have is pretty much it.
Mike

By: Andrea

Andrea — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 00:06:49 +0000

can these eels be bred in captivity and released at a certain time?
If so how would one go about finding out how to do this?
Does eel farming exist at a replenishable rate in NZ?
Where can I go to visit an eel farm?
I live in a place where there is a supply of long finned eels and have been reading about them for a while.
Is there an iwi or hapu with kaitiaki that monitor the catch rate or collect data on catches of long finned eel?
How can one find out who hold quota to do so?
My class are interested in studying the long finned eel as the eel is the kaitiaki of the people who live in our area.
Please may i have as much information as possible about long finned eels.
Are there any other inherent danger to the survival of long finned eels apart from farming, erosion, hunting and bush felling? What are the antural preditors of the eel?
Kia Ora mo to koutou mahi pai rawa atu ki te tiaki, awhina, aroha ki nga tuna.

By: Andrea

Andrea — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 00:01:51 +0000

can these eels be bred in captivity and released at a cerain time?
If so how would one go about finding out how to do this?
Does eel farming exist at a replenishable rate in NZ?
Where can I go to visit an eel farm?
I live in a place where there is a supply of long finned eels and have been reading about them for a while.
Is there an iwi or hapu with kaitiaki that monitor the catch rate or collect data on catches of long finned eel?
How can one find out who hold quota to do so?
My class are interested in studying the long finned eel as the eel is the kaitiaki of the people who live in our area.
Please may i have as much information as possible about long finned eels.
Kia Ora mo to koutou mahi pai rawa atu ki te tiaki, awhina, aroha ki nga tuna.

By: Bjorn Leigh

Bjorn Leigh — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 02:41:15 +0000

I am a student studying Environmental Management at SIT in Invercargill. I had no idea of the threat the Longfinned Eel is under. I have chosen to study this animal as the subject of my next assignment and would not have known this fish was in trouble otherwise. As a child a favourite weekend activity was to go eeling with my mates in the Opuanuku stream and its tributaries in west Auckland. I recall on one occasion catching a longfin eel about 1.8m in length and probably over 100mm in diameter. We killed this eel and took it as a trophy. Had I known then that this amazing creature was probably about 100 years old and close to embarking upon its breeding migration, I would have thought twice about killing it. We caught many other longfinned eels of lesser but still considerable size and numerous shortfin eels and we did eat most of our catch.
I think it is true that many New Zealanders would be shocked to know the state that the longfin eel population is in and would be passionate to protect this interseting endemic creature.
What can I do?

By: greengal

greengal — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 01:06:08 +0000

Is there any way that people can do anything about this to change the rules or something? I would like to help but dont know where to start.

By: slumcatmillionaire

slumcatmillionaire — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 02:54:20 +0000

Poor old eels. I used to have an eel that lived in the creek at my house - you could feed it bits of meat on the end of a stick. It was huuuuuge. I hope it is still there, I moved house so I don’t know. I would hate to think that someone ate him (her?)

By: Peter H

Peter H — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 03:27:05 +0000

Mike I don’t know that New Zealanders are willingly allowing eels to be fished to extinction and I am sure the majority would be horrified if they knew. Sadly economics is more sexy and news worthy than long squirmy wet things.

The only avenue we really have to save this species is through people power and education.

Somehow those 100 people who get a living from fishing for eel need to be found alternative work. If the eels were to be managed like trout as you suggest then at least some could be employed as rangers to protect the eel from poachers. Introduce rules that make it an exclusive game fish and hard to catch would give recreational fishers a challenge and generate income for the government through licensing fees.

I look forward to hearing your talk on 19 March at 7:30 pm Lecture Room 3, Victoria University Law Faculty, old Government Building Wellington

By: Pete S.

Pete S. — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 09:21:40 +0000

I remember visiting an eel processing plant on a school trip back in the late sixties. I was amazed at seeing huge vats full of very large living eels before they were going to be processed for export.
It now saddens me that we have been selling off these wounder full creatures for decades. Their habitat should be restored and these amazing native fish should be preserved for all future generation to be able to wonder at.

By: Marieke

Marieke — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 06:11:48 +0000

You’re an articulate, energetic advocate Mike, and the eels are lucky to have you.

What do you think is required to get the Ministry of Fisheries to take action? Do you know what the problem is in delaying the action? Is there something we can do to help?

By: TrevorS

TrevorS — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 01:20:15 +0000

I wonder if the eel you get in the sushi shops is NZ eel? I will have to stop buying it till I can find out.