DOC's view on galaxiids
Fish and Game's view on galaxiids
Otago Regional Counsil's view on galaxiids
Freshwater fisherman's view on galaxiids
Scientists' view on galaxiids

Galaxy of galaxiids.
Map of the people connected to the galaxiid future

Step 1: Click on an actor to reveal their connections to the other actors 
Step 2: Click on the lines between actors to see more information about that interaction 
Step 3: To make a pop-up information box disappear, click on it, or click on the connection line .
Step 4: Click on the black quad-arrow in the top left to reveal all links simultaneously. 
* Click on the fish to make the complex world spin around the galaxiid !

Collaboration between people  

There are many people, whose actions influence the survival of Otago galaxiids. Two of the most influential organisations are DOC and Fish and Game. DOC is responsible for native fish, including rare and endangered species. Fish and Game is responsible for sports fish, trout, and salmon. Even though other people and organizations also play important parts in fish protection, without the initiative of DOC to act, and the agreement of Fish and Game to accept and support actions, no serious management of the interface between native and introduced fish will take place (e.g. creation of barriers to migration of trout and local eradication). So DOC and Fish and Game need to work closely together and manage the interface between the two types of fish.


Because both groups are aware of possible adverse impacts, DOC and Fish and Game have a number of understandings about how to manage native and introduced fish. Otago’s Fish and Game work with DOC on trout removal from some streams, but those conservation issues are quite restricted in distribution. Fish and Game and DOC discuss river flows as well as water quality. Fish and Game is working with DOC to identify areas where everyone agrees that trout can be re-released, and where people should not release them in steams with galaxiids well established. Protecting rivers is expensive, and DOC has increasingly had limited funding. Fish and Game is one of the few organizations which has resources and has no option but to advocate for river protection.  Fishermen interact with Fish and Game, and fishing clubs. Information about galaxiids is spread to them thorough talks at fishing clubs, which are often done by DOC. DOC has also started working more broadly with communities, farmers and forestry companies. They are working with City Forests, and discussing protection of populations of Eldon’s galaxiids in some steams. DOC also has a good relationship with the local press such as the ODT and they try to get positive coverage of their activities.

People from Otago's regional council (ORC) work with DOC, Fish & Game, and Landowners. They organize awareness campaigns and meet farmers during field days, where they explain what farmers can do to protect galaxiids and their habitat. Specialists from DOC join these events as guest speakers. Also ORC and DOC collaborated during habitat protection projects of fencing waterways in the tributaries of the Lower Clutha. This project was paid for by Contact Energy (Industry). ORC also might assist DOC with identifying particular sites with galaxiids that need protection and with talking to landowners. The ORC and Fish and Game have similar positions: if you protect the ecosystems, components of that ecosystem should be fine. So they aim at protecting habitat. However, Fish and Game has a different view on what is sufficient to protect rivers, so they often end up going to tribunals or to court to argue about the standards that ORC uses in its decisions.

The ORC haven’t done any trout removal with Fish and Game yet, but Fish and Game have been supportive of some of the projects ORC have done. An example is the Ida Valley, with the Central Otago roundhead galaxiids: Fish and Game were supportive of the ORC not having flow in the certain sections of river to look after the galaxiids and prevent trout passage. Further, if the ORC finds out that there are galaxiids on a farmer’s land, then they try to make sure that stock is kept out of the water and stream is fenced off (although farmers in Otago are technically obliged to keep their stock out of water regardless whether or not there are galaxiids in their streams).

Scientists generally communicate with a variety of other groups. Because one of their activities is the provision of advice and information, they may interact with DOC, ORC, Fish & Game, other scientists, journalists, landowners, local citizens, and Iwi. Even though academic institutions such as the University of Otago often focus less on applied conservation, they still have connections with DOC, at meetings about fish conservation, at scientific conferences, and while doing fieldwork. Through personal environmental advocacy, some of scientists  interact with all other groups involved in the issue as advisors, collaborators, and advocates.