Check – clean – dry – a message that’s been around a while, but still relevant and important.
Recently a boat owner was found to have taken his boat into Fiordland with Undaria (Undaria Pinnatifida) on the hull. This resulted in him being fined in the Queenstown District Court.
Undaria is a serious pest marine plant that, whilst is in several locations in New Zealand, Fiordland is mostly free from this weed.
Environment Southland biosecurity and biodiversity operations manager Ali Meade said “This sentencing is an important reminder for the public to clean their vessels and understand the rules. If you are going into Fiordland remember to have a current Clean Vessel Pass and ensure your hull and gear complies with the cleanliness standards,” she said.
Wherever you are in New Zealand – remember to check your boat hulls and clean them regularly. When everyone does their bit, we can slow the spread and remove pest plants from our environments. This not only helps protect some of our most fragile ecosystems but also protects industries such as marine farms from increased costs due to fouling
Even if you don’t have a boat, you can help protect our marine environments. In this case it was a member of the public that reported the boat for having Undaria – you can easily report any kind of pest, including marine pests, using the Find-A-Pest app.
Reference: Media Release, Environment Southland, 2022
