MPI to conduct further tests in strait
In an effort to reassure affected communities, the Ministry for Primary Industries will conduct further testing for Bonamia ostreae in Foveaux Strait.
The ministry has been working with marine farmers to remove infected oysters in Big Glory Bay, Stewart Island, in a bid to halt the spread of the parasite, which is lethal to oysters.
Ministry field headquarters manager Andrew Sander said the first week of the removal operation was ahead of schedule.
‘‘We kicked off on Monday and by end of day Friday we will have completed the first phase of this operation, which is approximately 700 cages.
‘‘This equates to 12 truckloads to the landfill with a total weight of around 25 tonnes.’’
Another meeting was held yesterday with local iwi, oystermen, operators, farmers, councils and Environment Southland.
Sander said the ministry was looking to increase the effort, which involved additional trips and vessels.
The focus remains on removing the disease risk as quickly as possible in order to protect the wild fishery, Sander said.
Phase two of the operation, which involves lifting of the last cages and then ropes, will begin at the weekend; sooner than anticipated, he said.
Ministry readiness and response director Geoff Gwyn said the meetings that were held on Stewart Island and in Bluff this week were highly charged but constructive.
Both communities expressed a desire for further testing of the Foveaux Strait wild fishery before the scheduled testing in September 2017, Gwyn said.
‘‘Wild oysters collected from Foveaux Strait in September 2016 and February 2017 were all nega- tive for Bonamia ostreae. Previous testing of Foveaux Strait as far back as 2012 has not found any Bonamia ostreae.
‘‘This gives us further confidence it is not present there.’’
The reason testing was conducted six-monthly was to optimise the early detection of the disease, because there was a three-month period between infection and when the parasite is detectable, Gwyn said.
‘‘I am highly confident of our surveillance and testing programme and I’m equally confident that we have made the right decisions based on this information.
‘‘However, I acknowledge this issue is of high interest to the Stewart Island and Bluff communities, who are most affected by MPI’s decision to remove the farms from Big Glory Bay.’’
In order to reassure the affected communities, the ministry would be conducting further testing of the Foveaux Strait wild fishery and results would be available within three weeks, Gwyn said.
‘‘I need to be clear that even if these tests were positive, that would not necessarily mean that we would change our current operational activity, which will continue during this period.’’