Te Atiawa Stream fish life points to brighter future

Before construction work could begin on the Kenakena flood relief project the first step was making sure any creatures living in the work area of Te Atiawa Stream were accounted for and safe. 

In positive news, prior to the machinery moving in ecology contractors caught and transferred 266 fish from the roughly 25m length of stream they were working in, including bullies and shortfin, longfin and elver tuna (eel). 

One find was a 1.35m longfin eel, which could have been up to 67 years old. Longfin eels are a precious taonga and classified as an ‘at risk – declining’ species. This one was ready to head out to sea and breed.  

Wildlands ecological consultant Tessa Roberts says given the current quality of the stream the number of fish found was quite high, which is a good sign for the future. 

“The Kāpiti Coast is well known for its abundant fish population and if this habitat is restored, which is planned, I would expect it to support much more species and a larger density of fish,” Ms Roberts says. 

“Because this habitat is similar to the rest of the waterway, we would expect the same density and species of fish upstream. In fact, some areas upstream are a little nicer with native grasses and shade trees so it could even be more.”  

Stormwater project manager Paul Busing says the fish-friendly pump that will be installed to move water out of the area will also make it easier for fish to move between the stream and the Waikanae Estuary. 

“It’s really encouraging to see that there are good numbers of fish living in Te Atiawa Stream,” Mr Busing says. 

“We’ll be creating some habitat areas in the stream as part of this project, so we look forward to seeing it get even better. 

“While reducing the risk of stormwater flooding in Kenakena is our primary aim, improving the whole waterway is just as important. 

“Once we’re finished, we’ll not only have a much more effective stormwater system but a healthy ecosystem complete with native planting and abundant fish life.” 

What was found in Te Atiawa Stream