Wednesday, Mar 11, 2020
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THE INDEPENDENT VOICE OF MID CANTERBURY
Heart attack on the field FULL STORY
Playing to be leaders P3
Renegades softballer Billy Tapurau in action last month.
susan.s@theguardian.co.nz
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PHOTO ASHBURTON GUARDIAN 010220-HM-0613
ECan investigates 100s of dead fish By Susan Sandys
Veterans’ time to shine
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Environment Canterbury (ECan) is investigating the death of several hundred fish in a stockwater race which runs through the village of Mt Somers. The deaths have shocked residents, and ECan is appealing for information as to what may have contributed to contamination of the race. Species including smelt, trout, native kokopu, koura, freshwater bully and tuna (eel) were discovered dead and dying in the race by an Ashburton District Council stockwater ranger. The race runs along Ashburton Gorge Road, forming an idyllic feature along the frontage of many of the village’s
homes. It is a source of joy for residents, who like to watch the fish and koura (crayfish). And the race is visited by white-faced herons which feed there. ECan zone delivery lead Ashburton Janine Holland said staff have been on site this week taking water samples from four points along the race. “These have been sent away for testing,” Holland said. “At this stage, we cannot speculate on the cause of the contamination. But we encourage people in the community who may have seen something that could have contributed to contamination of the stockwater race to contact Environment Canterbury,” she said. “We will report back to the commu-
nity when we have more information.” Council group manager service delivery Neil McCann said a member of the public notified the council stockwater ranger, who immediately contacted ECan. “It is hard to know what is likely to have caused the deaths,” he said. A Mt Somers resident said she and her husband noticed the fish dead at the weekend, and it had been particularly upsetting for their young granddaughter to see all the fish floating belly-up.
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