Wairarapa electorate candidates on the Long Fin Eel

By David Famularo

Last evening I was lucky enough to watch a large tuna kuwharuwharu happily swimming up and down its part of a Masterton stream at twilight.

Once again I was reminded of what majestic creatures they are and what a presence they have. It's a reminder of why we should never give up fighting for them, starting with a moratorium on commercial harvesting.

It has been seven years and two governments,  encompassing all the major parties, since the Commissioner for the Environment told Parliament that a moratorium is required.

Tuna need a champion in Parliament who is going to fight for them no matter what obstacles are put in the way. Does the Wairarapa have one?

Here are the results of my canvasing of candidates of the four largest parties currently in Parliament for the Wairarapa electorate. (Time constraints didn’t allow me to do more)

(I was planning to email the same set of questions to all the candidates but found that other than Celia, I wasn’t likely to hear back from anyone unless I rang or got in front of them. Hence the different format for each candidate.)

 

Celia Wade-Brown - Green Party

Do you have any stand-out memories of your experiences with tuna (both short and long fin)?

I remember touching eels when feeding them at a community garden and being amazed at the delicate feel of their velvety skin. We also have eels living in the streams of our property and I love to see them hiding under the banks.

Do you believe the longfin (tuna kuwharuwharu) is in serious trouble and if so, when did you start to realise this?

Yes I do. Probably about 2013 when the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment said:

“It is critical that we stop fishing longfin eels. It is not just fishing that is the problem, but stopping it is the only action that has immediate potential to reverse the decline of this extraordinary creature.”

Our family also receives the Forest & Bird magazine and they have highlighted the decline.

You are a member of Eel Activists Wairarapa. What motivates you to be part of the movement to save the species?

Living in the Wairarapa, with eels on our property, I want to do more to help this fascinating species thrive. I don’t want them exported as pet food.

Do you support stopping the commercial harvesting of the longfin eel?

Yes, there should be a moratorium on commercial harvest at least until numbers recover. Cleaning up our waterways, protecting wetlands and educating people about the lifestyle of this migratory species are also important actions.

I would work with the Minister for Primary Industries to reduce the quota for eels to zero. If necessary I would introduce a Private Members Bill increasing the level of protection, possibly through an amendment to the Wildlife Act.

 

Mike Butterick - National Party

I had sent Mike the same set of questions but after getting no reply, gave him a call. He was pretty friendly in his responses, and admitted that he didn’t have any knowledge of exact circumstances of tuna.

I got the sense he wasn’t very well-informed on the species, such as the two separate species (short and long fin) and the quota system.

Mike did think there were probably still very large numbers of eels on farms, ponds and dams. “I’m pleasantly surprised by the numbers still on farms,” but that more research was needed to find out their exact numbers, “otherwise we run risk of finding out too late that we are losing them.”

He suggested rural schools could get involved in surveys as part of science projects, and said he was happy to be involved in any way that might help tuna.

 

Kieran McAnulty - Labour Party

I caught up with Kieran at one of his “street corner” meetings in Featherston one Saturday.

When asked if he thought there should be a moratorium on commercial harvesting of the long fin, he said, “I’ve got to be honest, I haven’t had this question raised before.”

Kieran said there were two aspects to consider - the commercial imperative and sustainability imperative. I’m not supportive of commercial over a threatened toanga.

“The solution is to work alongside commercial operators and iwi to ensure there is a system that doesn’t encroach on customary rights, that doesn’t threaten  a sustainable commercial model,  and above all ensures a future for a prosperous presence of long fin eels. It is fine balance, one that I think is certainly able to be reached.”

Kieran said he had not seen any data that suggests the numbers are threatened. “That doesn’t mean there is not an issue.”

He said he was interested in any information of interest on the subject being sent to him.

 

Ron Mark - New Zealand First

Ron hadn’t gotten back to me when I sent an email to him, using the email in an advert in the paper asking for people to contact him. I happened to interview his partner Chris and mentioned this to her. She passed on the message to Ron who texted me the following:

“I don’t think we have a policy on that. I don’t think anyone has spoken to our spokesperson. Certainly none has talked to me about it

I’d probably want to discuss it with my whanaunga Rawiri Smith who did a lot of research on the silver belly.

I am aware of the serious situation as a result of the work of Jan Wright when she was the Commissioner for the Environment.

“What’s your proposition” and gave me a different, parliamentary email for questions.

I emailed him, explaining a bit more about the situation with the long fin, and mentioning that both Wairarapa iwi support a moratorium on commercial harvesting. He never got back to me with any answers. I sent a couple more text reminders but gave up in the end.