Northland divers start New Zealand-first caulerpa elimination work
Kelliher said the underwater rapid response dive team helped maintain momentum and respond quickly while larger funding decisions were still pending.
The Conquer Caulerpa mahi is being carried out by Whangārei -based company Northern Divers.
Company managing director Stephen Te Tai (Ngāti Hine) said his Northland-based team's mahi was crucial as part of the community getting on top of the invasive seaweed. It honoured his forbear, prominent Ngāpuhi rangatira Te Ruki Kawiti, by helping protect the moana and whenua he fought for.
Biosecurity New Zealand, through Northland Regional Council (NRC), is providing $118,000 for four divers for pending 17 days of caulerpa survey and elimination work in the Bay of Islands.
Kelliher said more was needed.
'We have 11 trained divers, with professional experience in offshore oil rigs and more, ready to work on caulerpa – but no funding for them to do this work beyond those 17 days,' Kelliher said.
'Time is of the essence in the fight against caulerpa.'
Kelliher said $600,000 was needed, to extend the surveillance and elimination work north from Cape Reinga to the Bay of Islands.
Conquer Caulerpa has set up a Givealittle page. The link to this page can be found here.
Kelliher said money would be used for diver-led surveys, rapid-response treatments, specialised equipment, and community outreach.
The rapid response dive team is first surveying potential high risk caulerpa locations.
It has started working around four of the seven major Ipipiri Islands and Te Rāwhiti's mainland Hauai Bay. The surveillance and treatment plan has been created with Biosecurity New Zealand and NRC.
Kelliher said caulerpa would be treated with benthic mats and chlorine tabs, ultra-violet light, chlorine curtains or the underwater tractor being developed at least in part in the Bay of Islands' Omākiwi Cove.
The team's work follows caulerpa elimination trials in the Bay of Islands.
Kelliher said community members, including Ngāti Kuta hapū, Motukōkako Ahu Whenua Trust, Foundation North, Eastern Bay of Islands Preservation Society and a number of private donors, had already raised $65,000 towards previous caulerpa work.
He said it was hoped new fundraising could help towards a motorised underwater scooter to help divers move more efficiently through the water, meaning they could cover bigger areas.
The divers are working in the Bay of Islands on the high-value boat anchorages - Urupukapuka Island's Paradise Bay and Entico/Otaia Bay; Waewaetorea Passage on the island of the same name, Moturua Island and Motukiekie Island.
They will lay large mats known as benthic mats, covering chlorine tabs placed on isolated caulerpa plants. The goal is to kill small, isolated patches of caulerpa. This work follows earlier local trials.
These will be put down at three sites on the east of Moturua Island in Army /Waiwhapuku Bay, one site of the west of Motukiekie Island; three sites in Waewaetorea Passage, nine sites on Urupukapuka Island and two sites in Te Rāwhiti mainland's Hauai Bay.
Divers will then start surveying to check whether selected anchorages are still caulerpa-free and set up baseline data.
Comprehensive grid-based island surveying will be done at sites including Urupukapuka's Otehei Bay tourist boating hub and Paradise Bay, Intico/Otaia Bay and Cable Bay as well.
It will also be done on the south of Okahu Island in the passage of the same name, Waewaetorea Passage and Moturua Island's Army/Waiwhapuku Bay. Mainland surveying will be done at Te Rāwhiti's Kaimarama Bay, Oruruhoa Bay and Hauai Bay.
A national community exotic caulerpa locations map viewer https://www.marinepests.nz/interactive-caulerpa-map shows where surveillance work has previously been carried out nationally.
$9.4 billion hit from caulpera's spread as it threatens tourism and recreation, commercial fishing, aquaculture and ecosystems.
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