Boaties urged to keep hulls clean

Divers are about to begin checking more than 2000 boat hulls around Te Taitokerau as the Northland Regional Council (NRC) starts its annual summer hunt for unwanted marine pests.

The annual programme typically runs from November to May and will see both local and visiting vessels targeted, from small recreational vessels to large commercial vessels.

Biosecurity manager (marine) Kaeden Leonard says last summer, NRC’s marine biosecurity team inspected 2310 vessel hulls across 14 locations.

“While the majority of vessel owners showed strong compliance with biofouling rules when relocating between harbours, unfortunately, a number of vessels were still found carrying listed marine pests including Sabella spallanzanii (Mediterranean fanworm) in areas where those species are not known to be present,” he said.

“Our team works closely with these vessel owners to ensure risks are mitigated quickly. This often means hauling the vessel out of the water for cleaning at the owner’s expense.”

He says given there are some harbours in Northland that are free from Mediterranean fanworm (including Tutukākā and Mangōnui Harbours), and active removal is underway in others including Mangawhai Harbour, it is especially important for vessel owners to be vigilant about keeping their hulls clean.

“This is particularly the case when leaving areas where Mediterranean fanworm is well-established, including Whangārei, Whangaroa and Ōpua.”

If a marine pest is found on your vessel hull, contact NRC immediately on (0800) 002 004.

Designated areas for in-water cleaning can be found at https://www.nrc.govt.nz/maritime/marine-pollution-and-boat-cleaning/cleaning-your-boat/