Community Contributed
Lake Horowhenua ecology in 2013
Kete Horowhenua2020-03-23T16:51:21+00:00| Location | Queen Street, Horowhenua |
The Horowhenua Mail of 25 April 2013 reported:
Pest fish levels are low and eel numbers are high in Lake Horowhenua, according to scientists.
A Waikato University team spent four days fishing on the lake as part of a pest fish monitoring programme, on behalf of Horizons Regional Council.
Controlling pest fish populations will help improve lake water quality and reduce toxic algal blooms.
Waikato University scientist Grant Tempero said large perch were found, but not in big numbers. Goldfish and carp numbers were also low.
At left: Pest: One of the medium-sized perch caught in Lake Horowhenua.
A council spokeswoman said the Friday afternoon catch was still being tallied, but before that there had been 154 perch and 200 goldfish caught, and "at least three carp” in the afternoon. Mr Tempero said the team also caught 1,796 eels and found there was a "good population of native bully and even some whitebait".
"The average eel size was relatively small but the numbers are high, so in five to 10 years time they could easily grow to a healthy fishery.
"At this stage I’d say the future of the lake looks promising if you were to judge it by the fish ecological system."
Horizons freshwater and science manager Dr Jon Roygard said while recreational use created challenges for water quality, the fish population is well placed for lake restoration.
"The research also shows whitebait and mullet are present in low numbers which indicates there would be real value in installing a fish pass at the lake weir to enable them to move freely between the lake and the sea to complete their lifecycle."
At left: Probing the water: Waikato University scientists hard at work on the lake during their survey last week.