Stewart Smith

J. Stewart Smith (16 January 1913 – 21 May 2008) was an Englishman in New Zealand known for releasing several species of invasive freshwater fish into the country's waterways. A self-proclaimed Communist, Smith's goal was to introduce the coarse fishing of his childhood to New Zealand, which originally only had small native galaxias and introduced trout to fish for (which was something only the upper class could afford to do). Over the course of several decades, Smith would smuggle in fish and breed them in his garage in Massey, before releasing the offspring into rivers and lakes all over the North Island. Due to his actions, the ecology of New Zealand's freshwater ecosystems has been permanently altered.

Early life Joseph Stewart Smith was born in West Ham in London, England, in 1913, where he first started fishing in local canals and rivers at the age of five.

European perch (Perca fluviatilis) Tench (Tinca tinca) Rudd (Scardinius erythrophthalmus) Common carp (Cyprinus carpio) Goldfish (Carassius auratus) Western gambusia (Gambusia affinis)

Smith also wanted to release pickerel but never got around to it.

Later life Smith, who never married or had children, died on 21 May 2008 in Auckland. At least a portion of his estate was willed to coarse fishing clubs. Over the course of his project to introduce exotic fish species into New Zealand, he released 15,000 fish. His actions resulted irreversible changes to the ecosystems of many rivers and lakes in New Zealand.