Salmon farm ramps up security measures
As keen fisherman flock to the Ohau Canal in the hope of landing a big catch, following the illegal release of 6000 salmon, the managers of the fish farm targeted by vandalism have ramped up security measures to prevent another attack in the future. High Country Salmon assistant farm manager Josh Wyber arrived at work on Saturday and saw ‘‘a heap of fish’’ swimming around the outside of the pen. That’s when Wyber said he realised ’’something was up’’. The ropes were ‘‘slashed all the way around’’ and the net ‘‘had heaps of folds in it’’ and it was sunken in, he said.
Wyber, who has only been working at the farm for a month after relocating for the role from Stewart Island, said he was ‘‘devastated’’ by the vandalism. Increased security measures were not something they had wanted to implement, but they hoped it would prevent the same thing from happening again, he said. ‘‘The trust that we used to have is now gone.’’ A locked gate with barbed wire is being installed, restricting uncontrolled access to the farm and four security cameras have already been installed, he said. ’’It is another financial blow ... and it’s just not the image we want to project,’’ he said. Once salmon are released into the canal they are no longer the property of the farm and are owned by Fish and Game. There had ’’definitely been a lot more fishermen’’ around the canal this week, Wyber said.
Central South Island Fish and Game chief executive Jay Graybill said after news of the incident broke on Monday, local rangers counted 60 anglers on the Ohau Canal on Tuesday. ‘‘I felt it was important to have a strong presence there,’’ he said. No infringement notices had been issued in relation to undersized fish being caught, he said. He warned anglers the released fish were ‘‘on average about 15 centimetres long’’ which meant they were undersized and anyone taking them would be in breach of fishing regulations. High Country Salmon farm manager John Jamieson said the farm had lost around $150,000 worth of fish, within minutes, after the salmon were freed. Police are still investigating the incident they referred to as a ‘‘malicious act’’.