 |
Native
eels
can
grow
to
a
massive
size
|
The
Longfin
eel
has
lived
in
new
Zealand
for
80
million
years.
It
is
our
top
freshwater
predator
and
therefore
important
to
the
biodiversity
of
our
waterways.
Since
the
mid-1800’s
the
longfin
eel
has
been
so
undervalued
that
if
we
do
not
start
to
appreciate
this
fascinating
fish
it
may
soon
become
endangered
species.
Nga
taonga
tuku
iho
-
te
tuna
The
eel
–
An
ancient
gift
from
the
gods
The
special
place
of
tuna
or
the
eel
is
maintained
in
Maori
culture
through
the
stories
contained
in
tribal
histories.
A
means
of
illustrating
the
enduring
relationship
between
man
and
eel
can
be
found
on
meeting
houses
throughout
New
Zealand.
The
carvings
on
meeting
houses
act
as
a
record
of
important
events,
people
and
animals.
That
images
of
eels
appear
beside
tribal
ancestors
is
a
mark
of
their
importance
to
Maori.
From
the
records
of
our
ancestors
we
know
that
eels
lived
in
abundant
numbers
throughout
the
waterways
of
the
Wairarapa.
A
landscape
containing
numerous
swamps,
lakes,
streams
and
rivers
proved
to
be
an
ideal
home
for
eels,
within
which
they
thrived.
In
plants
such
as
flax,
supplejack
and
manuka
the
means
to
catch
them
was
readily
at
hand.
Maori
grew
crops,
gathered
edible
plants,
picked
berries,
caught
birds
or
rats
and
fished
for
nutrition.
Fresh
water
waterways
provided
homes
for
kakahi
(freshwater
mussel),
kourara
(fresh
water
crayfish),
juvenile
inanga
(one
species
that
makes
up
whitebait),
inter
tidal
fish
and
tuna.
 |
The
eels
at
Pukaha
Mount
Bruce
at
feed
time
|
Even
mixed
with
vegetables
a
number
of
kakahi
or
kourara
would
need
to
be
caught
to
make
a
meal.
The
eel
was
much
bigger,
easier
to
catch
and
was
everywhere.
For
a
people
with
limited
food
variety
and
quantities
the
eel
was
truly
a
gift
from
the
gods.
Today
eels
are
not
relied
upon
as
in
the
past
but
are
still
valued,
as
they
are
an
important
part
of
preserving
the
practice
of
cultural
traditions.
Of
course
some
people
still
consider
a
feed
of
eel
makes
for
a
very
tasty
meal.
Facts
about
eels
-
It
is
New
Zealand’s
biggest
endemic
fish,
which
means
it
is
found
nowhere
else
in
the
world;
-
it
has
lived
in
NZ
for
80
million
years;
-
is
possibly
the
biggest
freshwater
eel
in
the
world;
- matures
at
35
years
of
age;
-
can
live
to
be
over
80
years
old;
-
females
are
bigger
than
males;
-
have
been
measured
at
over
2
metres
long
and
30
kilograms
in
weight;
-
swims
to
Tonga,
breeds
once
and
then
dies;
-
it
has
rings
on
an
ear
bone
that
tells
its
age
like
those
of
a
tree;
-
the
slime
helps
breathing
and
provides
skin
protection
out
of
water;
-
its
head
and
eyes
change
shape
in
readiness
for
migration;
-
it
has
tubular
nostrils
that
stick
out
in
front
of
its
nose
to
help
in
hunting;
-
its
skin
is
highly
sensitive
to
help
it
“see”
They
will
swim
down
the
Bruce
stream
into
the
Matakitaki
River,
the
Manawatu
River
and
out
to
the
Tasman
Sea.
here,
they
will
join
many
other
eels
and
swim
6,500
kilometres
north
into
the
pacific
Ocean
to
breed.
Although
eel
eggs
have
never
been
found,
the
presence
of
tiny
eel
larvae
suggests
the
spawning
area
is
near
Samoa.
Adults
have
never
been
know
to
return,
so
it
is
presumed
they
die
at
the
spawning
grounds.
The
larvae
float
on
the
surface
and
are
swept
along
the
ocean
currents
that
return
to
New
Zealand.
As
the
near
the
coast,
the
larvae
develope
into
transparent
"glass"
eels
about
60
mm
long.
The
glass
eels
spend
a
few
weeks
in
estuaries
where
they
grow
into
elvers
and
develop
pigments
on
their
skin.
In
late
summer,
the
eels
head
upstream
into
the
waterways
throughout
New
Zealand.
Some
eels
remain
there
for
the
rest
of
their
lives,
and
it
may
be
twenty
years
before
others
set
off
on
their
incredible
journey
into
the
Pacific.
How
maori
used
and
preserved
eels
Maori
studied
eels
intensively
to
determine
life
cycles,
ages,
habitat
and
migration
patterns.
This
knowledge
helped
them
determine
how
many
eels
they
could
take
for
food
before
depleting
numbers
to
a
dangerous
level.
Eeling
would
occur
at
special
times
of
the
month
and
year
according
to
a
range
of
environmental
indicators
e.g.
lunar
cycles.
Farming’
and
‘reseeding’
were
not
uncommon.
This
meant
restocking
waterways
or
holding
eels
in
specially
built
enclosures.
‘Blind
trenches’
were
dug
close
to
migration
passages
during
the
migrating
season.
This
tricked
the
eel
into
thinking
it
was
entering
a
normal
stream.
Once
the
trenches
were
filled
with
eel
they
were
blocked
off
and
the
eels
harvested.
An
annual
eel
migration
occurs
at
Lake
Wairarapa
and
Onoke
during
autumn
of
each
year.
The
Wairarapa
Moana
(lake)
is
the
second
to
largest
eel
fishery
in
New
Zealand
only
being
outsized
by
Canterbury's
Lake
Ellesmere.
Different
sizes
and
species
of
eel
had
specific
names,
migrating
in
successive
months
according
to
size.
Maori
families
with
fishing
rights
at
Wairarapa
moana
only
fished
during
the
migration
period
and
caught
enough
eels
to
last
a
year.
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