Distraught fishers and farmers say fish are dying in an Ashburton stream, and they want to help.
Over the past two weeks a tributary to the Ashburton River, the Greenstreet Creek, has slowly dried up.
Outdoor Access, a group that monitors rivers with live video feeds, said farmers saw the water disappearing and have been unsuccessfully trying to get permission to put irrigation water into the stream.
Member Brett Colgan said they had been been contacting Environment Canterbury (Ecan) but couldn’t get a clear answer.
“There doesn’t seem to be one person in charge who we can talk to ... we’re getting the pass-around, and now it’s too late,” he said.
“Over the past 30 years farmers have been topping up the river with irrigation water when it’s been dry, but for some reason this year it’s proving more difficult.”
After a meeting with concerned residents and farmers on Monday night, Colgan walked the stream.
“A local farmer and I walked the stream and found endless amounts of dead eels, freshwater crayfish and fish.
“They’re all gone; unlike a supermarket shelf, we can’t just restock the stream with wildlife.
Farmers and fishers say fish are dying in Greenstreet Creek. Photo / RNZ
“It’s hard to say how many have been lost because farmers at different parts of the stream have just been trying to do what they can.”
Colgan said Fish & Game was at the creek last week working to save trout.
“We’ve had to sit back and watch the ecosystem disappear, the local farmers are really passionate about the health of the stream and if the council called them now they would be able to get water into it really quickly.”
