Inanga spawning at Waitohu

Working with local communities and iwi Ngā Hapū, we removed lots of non-native trees on the north bank of the river. This let more sun in and made the grass thicker. Now it’s a lot less murky and a lot safer and warmer for inanga to keep their precious eggs protected.
The more inanga we have in our freshwater, the clearer it gets because they feed on tiny invertebrates, which feed on algae - something we’d like to see less of. Tuna also feed on the inanga, which means we’ll see more of them around.
We’re already seeing the difference our programme Mahi Waiora is making, but we’re not done yet. Our vision is to see not just inanga return to our streams and rivers, but all the species who call them home.