Ocean heatwave bleaches sponges Council’s gambling policy up for review
FOR the first time there has been a mass bleaching of native sea sponges in New Zealand, raising alarm about the impact climate change is having on marine ecosystems.
The south of the South Island has been in the grip of an extreme ocean heatwave this summer, April having the hottest water temperatures to date.
Under Fiordland’s Breaksea Sound schools of orange and pink fish nose among the green and crimson seaweed which waves gently in the swell.
Nestled among the kina and molluscs are sponges which should be a healthy, velvety brown. Instead, scores of the widespread and ecologically important species are bleached white.
Victoria University of Wellington marine biology professor James Bell said the discovery last month was alarming.
He said damage like this had never been seen in New Zealand, and there were few reports of it happening in cold waters internationally.
The bleaching appeared to have happened quickly and could be widespread.
Scientists have checked more than a dozen places near Breaksea Sound and in some areas up to 95% of the sponges are affected.
The bleaching has also been spotted in Doubtful Sound.
Fiordland Marine Guardians chairwoman and marine ecologist Dr Rebecca McLeod she she was shocked by what was happening.
‘‘We are really worried, [the scientists] presented this information to us at our guardians meeting last week and [there was] . . . stunned silence. It’s big news.’’
University of Otago oceanographer Rob Smith works with the governmentfunded Moana Project researching marine heatwaves — which have become increasingly common in recent years.
The seas around the South Island have had the hottest April on record.
Dr Smith said there were extreme ocean temperatures in Fiordland — up to 5degC hotter than normal.
‘‘What we’ve seen this summer is the strongest marine heatwave on the West Coast of the South Island in 40 years.’’
The warm waters have been a boon for anglers — as tuna and kingfish were venturing much further south and being caught in decent numbers in Otago and Southland.
However, Dr Smith said interlopers displaced local species, while the warm water could also lead to outbreaks of disease in scallops, mussels, oysters and clams.
Sea sponges were a crucial link in the food chain and there could be serious consequences for fish numbers if they were wiped out, he said.
The researchers would travel back to Fiordland in a few weeks to look further at the spread of the bleaching and the cause.
But Dr Bell was worried. ‘‘This could be the start of something really, really bad for other ecosystems or the entire ecosystems in Fiordland, that’s kind of where it potentially goes — it’s pretty depressing,’’ he said. — RNZ
THE Southland District Council is seeking feedback on its gambling venue policy, proposing to keep its soft sinking lid for poker machines.
The council has put a consultation document out to the public for its policies regarding gambling machines and TAB venues.
Along with the gambling venue policy it is also reviewing its TAB venues policy, which covers policy over standalone TAB stores in the Southland district.
There are no TAB stores in the Southland district.
The policy does not relate to TAB outlets in pubs and clubs.
A TAB venue policy would be applied when the council considered a *consent application for a TAB venue.
Both the TAB venue policy and the gambling venue policy have to be reviewed every three years.
The council has not received an application for a venue to operate gaming machines in the past three years.
The council cannot alter consents that have already been given, nor can the consents lapse or expire.
In adopting a policy, the council must have regard to the social impact of gambling in the district.
In a report to the council last week, corporate performance leader Jason Domigan said the data generally showed continued declining trends for the number of gambling venues and gaming machines across the district over the past eight years, up to September last year.
In 2013 there had been 133 gaming machines in venues in the district and in September last year that had dropped to 88.
‘‘Overall proceeds from gambling venues have remained relatively neutral over this time and there have been neither increases or decreases in the number of people seeking interventions for problem gambling during this period,’’ Mr Domigan wrote.
‘‘When compared to all other territorial authorities across New Zealand, Southland district is considered to be fifthlowest when considering gaming machine proceeds per capita.’’
The current council gambling venue policy is based on a soft sinking lid approach to electronic gaming machines.
This approach allows venues to continue operating existing machines — and replace the existing machines when necessary — but it does not permit licences for new machines.
The current policy also states that if a venue closes, the licence to have machines can be transferred to another venue.
The report recommended the policy for gaming machines stay the same with a sinking lid approach.
The advantage of that was the soft sinking lid approach assisted in the gradual decline of gaming machines, which might contribute to a reduction in gamblingrelated harm.
The approach balanced the harm caused by gambling with the benefits the money from gambling could bring to people in the district, the report said.
The document was sent out last week and members of the public have a month to make submissions.