Saving the Canterbury Mudfish

Smith-Root Staff

Monday, June 18, 2018

Five species of endemic mudfish are found in New Zealand, and they are all threatened or endangered. The fish have a unique life history that allow them to live for months at a time burrowed into the stream bed while they wait for rains to fill the slow meandering streams they occupy. The problem they face is those same habitats they need for survival are also heavily used for farming practices. Additionally, the fish face pressures from non-native sport fish encroaching on the limited habitats they have left and preying on mudfish.

Conservation agencies and land owners in New Zealand are teaming up to conserve the prime mudfish habitats that remain. Smith-Root is designing and manufacturing a unique electric barrier that will exclude predatory non-native species, allowing the mudfish to regain some much needed ground. In fact, the latest project, in a rural Canterbury stream, will increase the prime habitat for the endangered Canterbury mudfish by tenfold the currently available habitat.

Smith-Root’s unique capabilities to specially design custom electric barriers, like the one to be installed in Canterbury, New Zealand, allows for important conservation projects to move forward with minimal instream impacts and long term cost savings. Should you need an electric barrier that has the benefits of quick deployment and retrieval, give us a call and we will be happy to share further information about this project.