Mature long-finned eels are approaching the time in their lives that is most important for the survival of the species - breeding time.
Harvesting them for the pet-food industry is just stupid, in my opinion.
Fonterra claims, no, a Fonterra worker claims to be upset by the disappearance of eels from a Takaka creek he was instrumental in improving. I'm with him on this issue. It would be galling indeed to have an eel of the age 'Harry' reported was, taken by some itinerant eeler.
From the report:
" A project to clean up Watercress Creek that runs through the Fonterra factory at Takaka has won a national river award, but its staff are upset at the loss of their "adopted" long-term resident eels"
"An eeler had recently passed through Golden Bay removing most of the eels, and had probably harvested the eels for "cat food".
Git.
5 comments:
"Git"
You are far kinder than I Robert.
"Itinerant eeler" - sounds like a picturesque bit part in one of Peter Jackson's endless Middle Earth potboilers. Bet you it was this bastard. Why the hell do they continue to get away with it, ffs?
It was short for "Git the b*stard!", wildcrafty.
You've just got to wonder at what's gone wrong with us when something like this happens. The disappointment felt by those who were enjoying feeding the eels is the least of it - the eels fate; being turned into cat-food, is very galling, as it devalues/debases the living creatures, in my view.
Joe - Metiria Turei has been campaigning on this issue for several years now but gets very little press coverage. At a public meeting down here, the eel-harvesting industry were outspoken in their own defence. I visited a processing plant for a look. There were huge kokupu in the holding tanks along with the eels, all ripped from their habitats and doomed.
Good on Metiria, Here's my kokopu, Happy New Year.
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