A recommendation to ban the construction of dams on a Central Otago river to protect a rare fish called Gollum, named from The Hobbit book, has been hailed as a major victory by environmental groups.
A tribunal – appointed by the Ministry for the Environment – decided to protect the “bug eyed” fish came after receiving submissions from anglers, environmental groups, gold-miners, skiers and kayakers favouring further protection of the Nevis river.
