The new fish-friendly pump from FishFlow Innovations is helping native fish to safely passage downstream on Ngāti Te Ata Waiohua land in Waikato.
Tuna live in streams and drains for many decades but breed once in their lifetime out at sea.
Water pumped through the new Mangawhero Pump Station enters a lake on the iwi-owned, 10-hectare property before joining the Waikato River. It’s part of Waikato Regional Council’s upgrade of five pumps in Waikato catchments.
Some 160 tuna were tagged during their migration season, which occurred during the recent downpour and flooding. But Roimata Minhinnick (Ngāti Te Ata) says despite the earlier-than-usual migration, the results meant that the pump is correctly doing what it’s meant to do: enable fish safe passage through the pump, as the old, current pumps are lethal to 100% of the Tuna.