Rakaia River Canterbury

A Compelling Reason to Donate

For decades, Angler Groups have been advocating for the Rakaia River's preservation and have been ignored. Unfortunately, the WCO has not been honoured causing the current protections to fall short:

The outstanding native habitat and all the ecosystem indicators have deteriorated dramatically

The native Stokell's Smelt numbers have drastically declined

The Salmon population is on the brink of collapse.

The once thriving Brown Trout fishery is significantly diminished

Without historical data, it's challenging for others to understand the river's past state in comparison to today. Establishing an Angler Oral History of the Rakaia River is crucial for providing evidence of degradation that Anglers see every day.

Our Efforts: We want clear accountability, responsibility, and monitoring of the outstanding values, character and health of the Rakaia River.

How Your Donation Will Make a Difference By supporting the recording of the Angler Oral Histories, aid ongoing efforts to revive and preserve this precious waterway, and contribute to the costs of the Rakaia Declaration process currently before the Courts.

 

The Gorge Bridge View - upper Rakaia River

Why is it important?

In 2019, anglers successfully stood up for the Rangitata River, preventing a proposed additional 10m3 water take from proceeding. This victory highlighted a crucial lesson - the importance of recorded evidence in defending our rivers.

The first phase involves bringing this invaluable resource to the pre-print stage, ensuring it is fully referenced and citable. Subsequent steps include peer review and publication, solidifying its credibility and impact.

Costs Pre Print 21K

Peer Review and Publication 10K

Next Step Rakaia Declarations 10 - 12K

Steve Gerard
Trustee Future Rivers Trust
Mid Canterbury
02/05/2021