NRC rethinking hull cleaning rules
The Northland Regional Council is inviting public comment regarding whether a single set of vessel hull-cleaning rules should be developed to help stop the spread of marine pests across the country’s four busiest boating regions.
For several years, the Northland, Auckland, Bay of Plenty and Waikato regions, along with Biosecurity New Zealand and boaties, have been working together to stop the spread of unwanted marine pests like Mediterranean fanworm hitchhiking on hulls.
Biosecurity New Zealand (a business unit of the Ministry for Primary Industries) manages national rules to minimise the risk of new pest species arriving on vessels from overseas, but the regulations for (mainly New Zealand-based) vessels moving around within coastal waters vary from region to region.
“Given our four northern-most regional councils (Northland, Auckland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty Toi Moana) are also collectively home to the country’s biggest boating populations, we think creating a consistent regulatory approach is a crucial part of how we respond to the growing threat of marine pests,” NRC deputy chairman Cr David Sinclair said.
New Zealand’s coastline and rich, diverse marine life had long been at the heart of New Zealanders’ shared national identity, but as the population grew, and boat movements increased, so too did the risks of marine pest spread.
“These pests threaten our incredible coastal playground and its underwater life, including kaimoana. They also pose considerable risks to our tourism and aquaculture industries,” he said.
The council’s biosecurity manager, Don McKenzie, said potential options included a requirement for a clean hull at all times, only when moving, or only when moving to specially identified places, each having its pros and cons
If new rules were to be proposed, each council would also need to consider things like roles and responsibilities, where the costs should lie, and how they should be funded.
Cr Sinclair said he saw devising new rules as an opportunity to be better prepared and help safeguard the North’s marine environment for future generations.
“Some of the world’s worst marine invaders, like the northern Pacific seastar, the Chinese mitten crab and invasive kelps such as Caulerpa, haven’t reached New Zealand yet, but if they do, having clean hulls will help prevent their spread between our harbours and special places like offshore islands,” he said.
Mr McKenzie said the four northern councils were now wanting to hear what their local communities thought before going any further.
“We’d like to encourage as many people as possible to take this unusual opportunity to have a say on a local authority issue that traverses several regions,” he said.
A discussion document outlining the options could be found at www.bionet.nz, with the opportunity to respond online (until May 24).
Cr Sinclair said all feedback would be reported to each of the four councils around the middle of the year, and would guide future decisions on whether a consistent regulatory approach should be developed.
“Before going down that road, any such proposal would need to be agreed to by each council, and would follow a formal public process to provide opportunity for public input,” he added.