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Liz Carlson / Stuff
Environment Southland has ordered a ship to leave Fiordland and its hull to be cleaned. (file photo)
A ship ordered to leave Fiordland is only the second to be told to leave, after it allegedly encountered an invasive aquatic species on its hull.
But Environment Southland is keeping quiet about where and when the ship was found, what kind of ship it was, where it was going, and whether it had left Fiordland.
A report by regional council executive director Rob Phillips, which was presented at a plenary council meeting on December 16, says a default action was brought for a ship believed to have traveled from Bluff Harbor to Fiordland while breaching Fiordland Marine Pathways Plan clean hull rules and suspected Undaria on the hull.
An order has been issued for the ship to leave Fiordland and her hull to be cleaned. The ship’s Clean Vessel Pass has been voided until the owner can prove the ship is in compliance with the rules, the report says.
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Environment Southland biosafety and biodiversity manager Ali Meade said the regional council was investigating a situation involving a vessel and a possible violation of the rules of the Fiordland Seaway Plan.
“As this is an active investigation, we cannot comment on it at this time.
“This is a good reminder of how important it is for everyone coming into Fiordland to make sure they are following the rules. Marine pests can be spread via boats, gear, and waste seawater, so it’s important to make sure hulls and gear are clean. ”
Meade said the ship was the second to be directed to leave Fiordland since the introduction of the Fiordland Marine Pathways Plan in 2017.
The plan aims to protect Fiordland from marine pests carried on local and visiting boats. It establishes a set of rules and standards that all vessels entering within one nautical mile of the Fiordland Marine Area land boundary must adhere to and requires vessel operators to obtain a Fiordland Clean Boat Pass.
Louise Bennett-Jones / University of Otago
Undaria (recognized by its yellow “thorn”) smothers a reef of light. It is often referred to as “gorse of the sea”.
“It only takes one infested boat to bring a marine pest to Fiordland and therefore we take all rule infractions very seriously.
“As we’ve seen from Undaria’s foray into Breaksea Sound, marine pests are expensive and difficult to deal with once they are established. If we are going to protect Fiordland for future generations, it is important that we all remain vigilant and do our part by following the rules to prevent further incursions, ” Meade said.
Undaria is listed in Environment Southland’s Pest Hub, which says the impacts of it they are not well understood and are likely to vary considerably by location.
It can change the structure of ecosystems, especially in areas where native algae are absent and potentially impact biodiversity.
Known sites where Undaria has been found are Breaksea Sound, Bluff, Waipapa Point, Ruapuke Island, Oban, Patersons Inlet, Big Glory Bay, and Port Adventure.
