Photo of the week: Shortfinned eels

Shortfinned eels—whether evoking ick or awe—are undoubtedly amazing creatures that deserve today’s Photo of the Week profile.

Earlier this week around 50 shortfinned eels were found dead or dying in a stormwater drain in the Tauranga district.

The eels showed visible signs of burns, which could have been caused by chemicals washed into the stormwater system.

It’s a shame that so many of these taonga were killed in such a painful way. Hopefully it’ll remind us all to be more aware of the consequences of polluting stormwater drains.

The drains around residential areas are only for rain water. Anything that is washed into these drains can have serious effects on our native species.