"Ultimately, I don’t care who’s responsible or what your motives are. I just want it to stop. It’s just another kick in the guts for our little community trust," Steve Bennett said after the trust’s Sawyers Bay hatchery was attacked last week for the second time since January.
Last Tuesday, when the fish were checked, it was discovered an aerator was switched off and more than 45 breeding male salmon had died.
In January, the hatchery was vandalised and the aerators switched off, killing about 200 salmon worth $30,000. The latest loss of fish was worth about $20,000.
Police were still investigating the first incident and had made no arrests.
Mr Bennett said the male salmon were due to fertilise the females, so the vandalism came as a huge blow.
There was "no rhyme or reason" for it.
"It’s a not-for-profit organisation run by volunteers, so I am baffled as to why someone would do such a thing."
The light at the end of the tunnel was that some of the female fish had already been fertilised and the trust had received donations of broodstock from High Country Salmon and Mount Cook Alpine Salmon since the first incident.
He would be pleased to see the end of such incidents.
"It would be nice to have someone held to account but ultimately if it stops I’d be happy. If you do have a problem with what we are doing, talk to me."
- Emma Perry
