Eeling stops in poisonous Canty lake

Locals have been eeling on Canterbury’s Lake Forsyth for centuries, but the practice has been temporarily stopped due to toxic algal blooms.

The Christchurch City Council and the Wairewa runanga hope to better co-ordinate management of the ailing lake with a new 35-year agreement.

The Banks Peninsula lake, near Little River, has been plagued by periodic toxic algal blooms for about a century, but they have become increasingly severe in recent years.

It is one of two legally recognised customary lakes in New Zealand, meaning the local runanga, Wairewa, has exclusive right to fish for its tuna (eel).

Last month, blooms meant the runanga put a rahui (ban) on eeling.

‘‘Eeling has been our way of life here,’’ runanga chairman Rei Simon said.

‘‘The rahui has meant we cannot follow our whanau traditions that we have practised for hundreds of years.’’

The lake was opened to the sea late last week through a channel near Birdling’s Flat. Its water level had since dropped from 2 metres to 1m.

Opening the lake to the sea helps drain some of the polluted water and helps with flood mitigation.

Under the new memoranda, both council and runanga will be responsible for artificially opening and shutting the lake through resource consents.

They will also work together to monitor the lake’s health and its wildlife and develop and maintain a landscape-management plan.

The runanga will also build a bridge connecting Birdling’s Flat to Bossu Rd, which are 500m apart, but separated by a 45-minute drive.

The understanding will help both groups work together to improve the lake’s health.

The blooms have killed cattle, sheep, and dogs from Little River. They have turned the lake a vivid green at times.

It is believed to be largely caused by phosphorous-rich sediment at the bottom of the lake derived from extensive deforestation.