Pair filmed bashing eel to death with hammer in Christchurch

Tuesday, 9 July 2019

Video footage show an eel being killed by a man with a hammer outside Christchurch's Antigua Boat sheds.

Two people have been filmed bashing an eel to death with a hammer in Christchurch.

Footage sent to Stuff shows a man pulling what appears to be a longfin eel, which is a vulnerable species, on a fishing line outside the Antigua Boat Sheds on Cambridge Tce on Monday.

The man is then handed a hammer by a woman with him, and strikes the eel several times before putting it into a plastic bag.

Photos show an eel being killed by a man with a hammer outside Christchurch's Antigua Boat Sheds.

A spokesman for the Antigua Boat Sheds was unaware of the incident before but said it had happened 'a few times' over the past two years.

* The dams, the science, and the tiny eel industry clinging to life**

The boat sheds is a popular eel-viewing destination, children can often be seen feeding the feels at the site. Doris the friendly eel, is known to lurk beneath the boat sheds.

The footage is not clear enough to say what species the eel is, but it appears to be a long fin. Longfin eels are only found in New Zealand, and have the conservation status 'At risk/Declining'. The species shares that status with the likes of the North Island brown kiwi and the blue penguin.

Shortfin eels are native to New Zealand but are also found in parts of Australia and the Pacific Islands. They are not threatened in any way.

Under the Wildlife Act, killing most native animals can be penalised with a $100,000 fine or up to a year in prison, but longfin eels are excluded from that law. It is generally legal to take an eel for the purposes of human consumption or scientific research.

Longfin eels have a lifespan of up to a century, and only breed once, at the end of their lives. It is unclear where exactly they breed, but it appears to be in the Pacific Ocean south of Fiji.

Thousands of longfin eels are killed each year and sent overseas for consumption.

Christchurch City Council acting head of regulatory compliance Claire le Grice said fishing at the Cambridge Tce spot was likely a breach of the Marine, River and Lake Facilities Bylaw 2017.

The purpose of the bylaw was to enable the fair and safe use of Council facilities and protect them from damage and nuisance, le Grice said.

'This bylaw does not regulate fishing activities or deal with animal welfare issues.'

She referred further questions to the Department of Conservation. DOC has been approached for comment.