Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 36, Number 12, 1 December 2019 — Hundreds of 'O'opu Killed in Wailuku River [ARTICLE]

Hundreds of 'O'opu Killed in Wailuku River

A Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) project designed to ensure the survival of native fish and shrimp in the Wailuku River killed hundreds, if not thousands, of fish. Water was diverted from the Wailuku River in late October to install a fish ladder meant to help fish and shrimp travel up a 22-foot vertical wall in the river. The diversion reduced water levels in the river so egregiously that the stream bed at the river mouth was reduced to warm puddles of water. Reduced river flows and rainfall were cited by officials as contributing to a "substantial fish kill" at the river mouth. Nearby residents put out a eall for kōkua to rescue 'o'opu from the dry stream beds. Volunteers from

the community joined DLNR staff with buckets and coolers to gather the struggling fish and move them to streams higher in 'īao Valley hoping they would recover. Four of the five species of 'o'opu found in Hawaiian streams, are endemic to Hawai'i. 'O'opu hi'ukole are considered a "threatened" species, while 'o'opu nākea and 'o'opu nōpili are considered "species of special eoneem" by the American Fisheries Society.