SHOALS OF KAHAWAI

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 12 June 1939, Page 11

SHOALS OF KAHAWAI

LAGOONS INVADED FISH BLOCK THE CHANNEL SOME STRANDED ON BANKS Lagoons near the mouth of the VVairau River covering a large low-lying area affected by tides are at present invaded by innumerable kaliawai, which have transformed the usually placid waters into a broken jobble as though a heavy wind was sweeping over the surface (states Friday's “Express’). All channels leading from the lagoons to the river are blocked, and in one channel about a quarter of a mile long and some 30ft wide the fish frequently become entangled in masses of raupo which lie have no difficulty whatever in simply picking up as many of the fish as thev desire On the eastern side of the lagoons the fish have completely blackened the water and often leap on to the banks, where they are left stranded. In Chandler's Lagoon, which is separated from the river by a channel about 12ft wide, there must be hundreds of thousands of kaliawai, and continuously the water is being churned up. The dorsal fins and tails of the fish can be seen as they circle about over an area of hundreds of square yards. The cause of this strange visitation from the open sea is a mysterv. It appears that there is little chance that the fish will ever find their way back to the open water.