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Around 25-30 local residents, as well as Rodney MP Mark Mitchell, were by the lake to see the two-year-old fish netted and placed carefully in the lake on July 3.
Maygrove Residents Association member Marie Walding says the release of the fish sees the end of a two-year long battle with Auckland Council. “We have been begging Council for years to get us some fish, so we are thrilled to finally have them here,” Marie says.
Fast growing introduced weed species, including oxygen weed, have taken off in the lake, and controlling them proved well beyond the ability of residents, who hold a clean up twice a year.
Fifty grass carp were released into the lake in 2008 to control weed, but they were washed over the weir and into Orewa Estuary in a flood.
To prevent something similar happening to these fish, a net has been placed under a bridge to contain them well away from the weir.
The release was handled by Stephen Pullan, fisheries advisor with the Ministry for Primary Industries, and Gray Jamieson of NZ Waterways Restoration who supplied the carp.
Residents will continue to remove weed from the weir end of the lake, until a further net can be put up and more carp released.
Rodney MP Mark Mitchell was thanked for his role in getting the project over the line. “It’s really the residents we should be thanking for their superb stewardship of this lake,” he said.
Carp control
The use of grass carp for weed control in NZ has been controversial – since introduction in the 1960s, they have proved valuable in eradicating weeds from lakes where they can be contained.
Their spawning and rearing requirements means that the establishment of a wild population is unlikely.
Grass carp commonly exceed 500mm in length and 10kg in weight, and can live for 15-20 years.
