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You can help native fish

How you can help native fish living near you

  • Protect streamside vegetation, fence off stream edges from stock and plant alongside streams to create a shady cool habitat. 
  • Make sure that culverts and weirs in your stream are fish-friendly – native fish can’t jump and need wet surfaces to wriggle their way upstream.
  • Think twice before killing an eel – after 25 years of growing, that big one could be just about ready to start its 1500km journey to breed. 
  • Protect wetlands, particularly in lowland areas – they are often valuable native fish breeding grounds. Even fencing off whitebait spawning areas for a few months each year might be enough to help them.

To keep wet areas "mudfish friendly":

  • Retain riparian vegetation
  • Avoid drag-lining streams
  • Avoid introducing other fish, such as trout
  • Maintain water quality and quantity.
 
Publication

New Zealand large galaxiid recovery plan (PDF, 980K)

New Zealand non-migratory galaxiid fishes recovery plan (PDF, 162K)

Information

Find out about the biology of whitebait and whitebait identification

Journey Up the Creek
This stimulating and easy-to-use bilingual website for students follows Dion, Rick, and Ani on a trip up the creek as they learn how fresh water supports life.

Contact

DOC HOTline - 24 hour emergency number

Phone 0800 DOCHOTline (0800 362 468) to report:

Sick or injured wildlife
Whale or dolphin strandings