Didymo Stakeholder Update - 18 January 2008

Happy new year to all didymo partners and stakeholders

November 2007 national delimiting survey

The national delimiting survey was completed in early December. Didymo was detected at 10 new sites, all in the South Island.

The primary aim of the delimiting surveys is to determine how widely didymo has spread into new waterways in the South Island, and to detect if didymo is present in the North Island.

Previously, didymo national delimiting surveys have been contracted to a single provider to coordinate, collect and analyse samples and report results. This survey was instead coordinated by MAFBNZ, working with the partners and laboratories, with the aim of involving the didymo regional partners, especially North Island partners, so that they could become more familiar with the tools and processes for monitoring didymo.

Microscopic analysis was used for all South Island samples while the new DNA detection process was used in the North Island. This survey was the first time that the DNA process had been used on such a wide scale.

The Didymo Samples Database (released in September 2007) was central to the sample collection and sample analysis process because it enabled information to be accurately tracked from collection through to final analysis.

In total, samples were analysed from 145 sites, 74 in the North Island and 71 in the South. Didymo was detected at 10 South Island sampling sites. The majority of the new sites where didymo was detected were very close to other waterways that already are infected with didymo. Typically they were downstream of infected sites and/or are directly connected to a waterway that is infected with didymo, as is the case with the Rakaia River in Canterbury.

Sampling carried out since the survey was completed has detected didymo in the Arahura River on the West Coast and the Cobb River in Tasman.

This survey is the final didymo national delimiting survey commissioned by MAFBNZ. The model used for this survey supports a transition from MAFBNZ quarterly national surveys to partner driven, regionally based surveying.

To view sampling sites and results from the delimiting survey and other sampling go to the Didymo National Samples Database on the didymo 'Partners' section of the Biosecurity New Zealand website.

Read-only access to the information is available using the following login:

Username: Didymo
Password: didymosamples1

MAFBNZ Didymo Projects

Below is a summary of the didymo projects that have been commissioned for this financial year.

1. Didymo knowledge sharing project [Starfish Consulting]

The objective of the knowledge sharing project is to produce an easy and effective way for those people with an interest in didymo to find relevant and useful knowledge and information about it.

The project will include knowledge and information that is held by MAFBNZ and long-term management partners. It may include, or direct people where to find, documents, publications, photographs, pictures, information brochures, contact information, technical reports, video clips, CDs, etc.

As a result of the consultation process a range of different audience perspectives have been identified and these will be taken into account when determining how new knowledge should be packaged and presented. To date Starfish personnel have worked intensively with key MAFBNZ and DOC staff, and facilitated workshops with long-term management partners in the South Island and in the central North Island. Further North Island workshops (Rotorua, Wellington and Auckland) will be held in January.

In February, a prototype will be released containing communications knowledge and information. This release will provide an opportunity for people to add their own information to the collection and help classify it.

In March, a simple system will be released for people to see what other information and knowledge has been captured. It will include the communications material, and operating procedures and science. Depending on feedback from partners, it may also contain a contacts directory.

The project is on track for delivery in May.

2. Further research on chelated copper control tool

The chelated copper product Gemex™ was developed and trialled by NIWA under contract to MAFBNZ as part of its work to find a control tool for didymo. The trial of the control tool was held in the didymo infested Princhester Creek in Southland in early 2007. The report on this trial can be found at http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/files/pests-diseases/plants/didymo/didymo-control-stage-3-oct07.pdf (1875 Kb) Three further research projects are underway on different aspects of the control tool as outlined below.

a) Review study of the Princhester Creek control trial [Southland Fish & Game and Cawthron Institute]

This work involves undertaking an independent review of the effectiveness of Gemex™ to control didymo in Princhester Creek following the trial in early 2007. Specifically, the project involves:

• determining the presence of copper in the waterway sediment;
• measuring copper levels in non-target species (fish, invertebrates and algae) within the waterway; and
• measuring the impact of Gemex™ on non-target species that exist in Princhester Creek.

The project is on track for final reporting in May.

b) Impact assessment of Gemex™ on non-target species [NIWA]

In a laboratory setting, this work will test the impact of Gemex™ on non-target species that are present in North Island waterways that could potentially be treated with Gemex™. The results will provide additional environmental impact information that will assist long-term management partners in decision making if they are considering using Gemex™.

A range of fish, aquatic insects, molluscs and crustaceans has been proposed for this research. In order to ensure that the range of testing will address long-term management partners concerns about the potential impact of Gemex™, partners have been asked to review the proposed organisms and testing procedures and provide comments before the end of January 2008.

A final report on findings is expected in early May.

c) Research into potential treatable didymo infested rivers of the North Island with Gemex™ [Diffuse Sources Ltd]

This work is to develop a decision-making tool to help MAFBNZ and long-term management partners identify waterways that could effectively be treated with Gemex™.

The tool will assist decision-makers in:

• identifying which waterways could be treated with Gemex™ and plan in advance the steps they could take to control didymo when it is detected for the first time in that waterway; and
• deciding whether already infested waterways could be treated.

The tool will include hydrological, ecological, regulatory, legal, financial, cultural, social and environmental factors that a region would need to consider before using Gemex™. The work will be based on existing research that has been done for MAFBNZ since 2004, but a comprehensive consultative process with partners with a range of expertise and responsibilities is underway, and is providing perspective and currency.

Completion is scheduled for May.

Communications update

Summer programme/collateral

A resource to help partners understand and reach key target audiences was distributed to regional groups before Christmas along with a 'pocket cleaning guide' giving detailed cleaning methods for boats, kayaks/canoes, fishing equipment, vehicles, footwear, pets, people etc. There has been good feedback from partners and river advocates about the practicality of the pocket guide.

MAFBNZ has contracted staff to hand out information about didymo to travellers at the Wellington terminals of the Interislander and Bluebridge interisland ferry terminals during the busy summer period. (Contractors operate at the Picton terminals all year round). Sailings over the New Year period were heavily booked and staff on both sides of the strait have been extremely busy.

The demand for collateral to support regional didymo programmes has been heavy. It is great that information about didymo is reaching so many waterways users, however the supply of collateral is finite. Please think about the high-risk waterway users in your area and the best way to reach them before you order collateral. There are some suggestions about matching audiences with collateral in the folder sent out to partners before Christmas.

We have produced and are displaying 'Check Clean Dry' signage on the five baggage carousels at Auckland International Airport. These were installed before Christmas and will be displayed until at least the end of this month.

Events

MAFBNZ staff are scheduled to attend/have an input into the following events this summer:

• Antique Classic Boat Show (Nelson, 1^st weekend in March)
• Auckland International Boat Show (Auckland, 5-9 March)
• One Fly New Zealand fishing competition (Nelson/Marlborough, 11-15 March)
• World Fly Fishing Championships (Rotorua, Taupo, Lower Waikato, 23-31 March)
• Maadi Rowing Cup (Twizel, 31 March-5 April)

Regional partners are welcome to attend/help MAFBNZ staff at these events. For more information contact Matthew Thorpe at MAFBNZ matthew.thorpe@maf.govt.nz

MAFBNZ is intensifying its efforts to reach hunters and trampers and is looking for events which target these groups. The events need to be large scale (i.e. a national event/attract an audience from a wide area). If you have any suggestions please contact Matthew Thorpe.

Regional group visits

Jeremy Lambert, Director MAF Communications has continued meeting with regional groups to discuss the check, clean, dry social marketing programme. Wendy Billingsley from MAFBNZ Communications has facilitated social marketing workshops with regional groups in Auckland, Invercargill, Napier and Tasman (Nelson/Marlborough).

Import Health Standard update

Import Health Standards for equipment associated with Animals and Water are now in place – information was sent out via tourism and fishing networks in September. Follow up messages were also sent out via Tourism NZ to fishing lodge operators in December.

MAFBNZ has also been working with event organisers to ensure anglers visiting New Zealand for international fishing competitions are aware of the import health standards before arriving here.

For more information regarding the updated Import Health Standards visit,

Freshwater Angler Information

Thank you

Thank you to all those who have reported suspected sightings of didymo or followed up on those reports. Thanks also to everyone who is making the effort to check, clean and dry at every waterway.

To report an exotic pest or disease, call the MAF Emergency Pest and Disease Hotline: 0800 80 99 66

If you do not wish to receive these updates please email didymo@maf.govt.nz with 'Unsubscribe' in the subject line