Gollum

This tiny fish has inadvertently helped to prevent the damming of the Nevis river, simply by living there. Good on you Gollum (gollum galaxias).
I walked the Nevis Valley 30 years ago and I did it bare-footed! I've not met anyone yet who can say the same and for good reason probably - it was pretty tough going! Though it was summer, I got snowed-in for two days, sheltering in a 'cabin' at the half-way point, eating food that was left there for the purpose by the thoughtful owners (thank you again whoever you are). I had to make 'shoes' for myself to walk out across the snowy ground - I bound my feet with sacking to fashion footwear that lasted about 100 metres! From then on it was pretty chilly going but I did it! When I got to Cromwell, I bought jandels!
Back to the fish - today's Times carries a story about Gollum's cousins who swim in the more dangerous waters of the Waiau Mouth near Tuatapere, where they are being scooped up, not only by recreational whitebaiters but also by criminal suppliers of the 'whitebait black-market'. Police and DoC staff seem to be making a greater effort this year to apprehend the night-'fishermen', but I suspect that greed will win this battle and the extractive industry that whitebaiting is, will continue, at the detriment of the native fishes.
All the more reason to cheer for Gollum!