Timaru sniffs out mystery fish pong

File photo / Brett Phibbs

A mysterious rotting fish smell has been permeating Timaru streets, prompting 82 calls to Environment Canterbury since Friday.

Three staff from ECan's Timaru office have been scouring Timaru's streets to find the source, following public complaints - including 34 to a pollution hotline yesterday.

The smell was concentrated around the town centre, but more than 20 locations have been detailed by Timaru residents, the Timaru Herald reported.

Senior environment officer Lance Corcoran said all reports were being investigated - with only industrial sites and activities being targeted as the likely source.

"We are watching a couple of premises more than others; the more obvious ones [being] meat processing plants, fish plants and the landfill," he said.

One woman said the smell was so bad she was dry retching along the street.

Timaru District Mayor Janie Annear said the problem was not helped by the fact there were several smells.

She even checked around her own house to see if a fish had been forgotten about, before discovering the smell was more widespread.

She was not concerned the smell would affect Timaru's reputation.

"It's not constant, that's the biggest thing. It comes and it goes...like everybody, I would like to get the mystery solved."

- NZPA