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.