An investigation into the impact of the Geoffrey Blundell Barrage Gates on tuna (eel) migration in and out of Lake Wairarapa
Part 1: Introduction Kia Ora. My name is David Famularo and these are the Geoffrey Blundell Barrage Gates. Photo: Greater Wellington Regional Council The barrage gates are located in what used to be a stretch of the Ruamahanga River, where it used to leave Lake Wairarapa and flow into into Lake Onoke further downstream. Map: Greater Wellington Regional Council So what is this investigation all about? For some years I have been concerned about the survival of the Long Fin Eel - tuna kuwharuwharu, which is classified as “declining/at risk” by the Department of Conservation and which I will refer to as tuna, although there is a more common short fin variety as well. Photo: Jason Gunn Burton But for tuna and other migratory native fish species, things changed drastically when the barrage gates and diversion were constructed in the early 1970s. Out of personal curiousity, I wanted to find out what impact these had had on native fish migration so did some online research. I was surpr...
