'Truly gutting': Hundreds of eels, fish die in stream chemical spill

Author: Hannah Filmer ,
Publish Date: Wed, 1 Jul 2026, 11:58am

Hundreds of eels and fish are dead in Campells Bay Creek, Auckland after a suspected industrial-strength pollutant spill. Photo / Supplied

Hundreds of eels and fish have been found dead after chemicals were flushed into an Auckland creek volunteers had spent decades restoring.

Local volunteers who helped to keep Campbells Bay Creek habitat healthy are calling for greater awareness of what people put down their stormwater drains, after a mass culling of eels and fish at the weekend.

Hundreds of eels and fish were found suddenly dead along a sizeable length of the stream. Photo / Supplied

Hundreds of eels and fish were seen belly-up after what volunteers believed to have been a toxic chemical spill into the North Shore stream.

Campbells Bay Urban Sanctuary chair Richard Hursthouse told the Herald it was a “truly gutting” event likely caused by an industrial-level chemical such as cleaner or paint from a development site.

“There were literally hundreds of dead eels and fish along a good chunk of the stream.

“Most people don’t realise that outside drains go into stormwater drains that lead into the nearest stream and then into the sea.

“This could be miles away and it will still wash down to the river.”

He said in the past three months alone around 1000 hours of volunteer work alongside “lots of money” had been put into the stream’s maintenance.

Volunteer work mainly included planting, weeding and the monitoring of PH levels to detect pollution levels - particularly high alkaline numbers.

Common pollutants included silt, plaster, cement and paint.

Dead fish in Campbells Bay Creek. Photo / Supplied

Restore Hibiscus and Bays catchment adviser Viv Walker said Campbells Bay Creek was part of a “fragile ecosystem”.

“89% of New Zealand’s native freshwater system is threatened with, or at risk of, extinction.

“There’s a misconception stormwater is treated before going to the streams and ocean.

“All stormwater drains lead to streams. There’s a catchment but it doesn’t catch things like paint and cleaner.”

Volunteer Ash Walsh who has lived at her creek side property for 26 years and helped to restore and upkeep the stream, said it was “devastating” to see.

“We could see such progress, so we’ve been left thinking ‘where do we start now?’”

Walsh worked on keeping the stream habitat healthy “mainly every weekend” by replanting non-toxic plants and clearing rotten debris.

She said her children for years used to play with an eel they named “Sam” who had since gone missing.

Walker said council staff had visited the creek but because the spill likely happened on Sunday they were unable to find the source of the pollutant.

“There’s now a fire in my belly to create further awareness.”

A campaign called “No Paint in Drains” was being launched by Restore Hibiscus and Bays with the aim to work alongside local communities to restore riparian margins and improve stream habitats.

Auckland Council has been approached for comment.