What's on your boat's bottom?

Fiordland poster

Preventing the spread of invasive marine pests into Fiordland

Efforts are underway to stop the spread of invasive marine pests into the unique Fiordland environment. Attention is focused on the primary ways harmful pests can enter the fiords: in fouling on vessel hulls and on marine equipment such as mooring ropes or fishing gear.

First steps

Biosecurity New Zealand (BNZ) is working with Environment Southland, the Department of Conservation, the Ministry of Fisheries, the Fiordland Marine Guardians, and marine users to implement a programme to minimise the risk of invasive marine pests being introduced into the Fiordland Marine Area (FMA).

A draft risk assessment currently being undertaken for Fiordland has identified 33 exotic species that pose a risk to Fiordland, 10 of which are present in New Zealand. These high-risk marine pests include organisms such as the sea squirts Styela clava and Didemnum vexillum, the seaweed Undaria pinnatifida, the Northern Pacific seastar (Asterias amurensis), Asian clam (Potamocorbula amurensis) and Grateloupia turuturu (a red algae recently discovered in Wellington harbour). The programme includes all marine pests that could threaten the environmental, social and economic values of Fiordland.

The primary focus of the biosecurity programme is prevention – concentrating measures on known high-risk pathways.

Key measures include:

  • a communications programme
  • vessel inspections
  • compliance activities
  • pest control within the ports of Bluff and Stewart Island.

Beware ... and be aware

Successfully keeping pests out of the FMA will only be achieved if marine users take responsibility for their own actions. Fiordland presents a unique opportunity to manage risks, with limited vessel movements and a high appreciation amongst marine users of the values that Fiordland holds.

Education about the risks and the practical steps that marine users can take to reduce those risks are key messages of the communications work. The ultimate goal is bringing about a desired behaviour change amongst people who use the FMA – we want people to think of marine biosecurity and take appropriate precautions before they travel into the area.

The communications programme will include highly targeted activities working one-on-one with marine users to identify the risks and explore solutions that best address these risks and that work for the user. There will also be broader activities targeted at boat shows, community events, boat shops and servicing facilities.

Marine users are encouraged to take preventative measures – maintaining an active antifouling coating on vessel hulls, and treating equipment or keeping it clean and free of fouling.

Marine users are being provided with information sheets to help identify common pests and hull fouling risks (highlighting areas on their vessels prone to fouling), and how to safely clean and disinfect hulls or marine equipment, including good hull maintenance practices.

A clean hull of health for Fiordland-bound vessels

Underwater inspections in Southland ports for pests on vessels that regularly visit Fiordland began in April 2007. The inspections will be undertaken regularly and will primarily support both the one-on-one awareness and compliance activities. Vessel operators will be notified if any marine pests are found on hulls or marine equipment such as buoys, mooring lines and fishing gear.

Compliance may be enforced

To protect the FMA, vessels or marine equipment found to be fouled with a marine pest will be required to be cleaned/disinfected before entering the area. If required, compliance may be enforced through either the Biosecurity Act 1993, or the Resource Management Act 1991, in accordance with provisions of Southland's Regional Coastal Plan and resource consent conditions.

Pest control – no harbouring of marine pests

To help owners of vessels and marine equipment to comply with the new requirements, the fourth key measure of the programme is to provide clean berthing facilities within the ports, to reduce the risk of re-fouling. Generic pest control measures will be applied in harbour areas close to port facilities and vessel moorings within Bluff and Stewart Island. Port environments present high-risk sites for the infection of vessels that travel to Fiordland.

The effectiveness of reducing the biosecurity risk through providing a clean port - by undertaking regular cleaning of wharf structures and the seabed near vessels – has yet to be tested. The control programme will include an evaluation component to test the efficacy of the clean port concept over time.

So what's on your boat's bottom? Nothing hopefully, except a healthy lick of anti-foul paint.

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Page last updated: 30 April 2008