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Biosecurity New Zealand is reminding boaties and fishers to clean their anchors and fishing gear and reduce the risk of introducing or spreading any exotic seaweeds after a small clump of suspected Caulerpa brachypus was spotted on a Bay of Islands beach.
Biosecurity’s director of readiness and response John Walsh said a local resident, who had been at a beach at Te Rāwhiti, near Russell, took a photograph of the 20cm seaweed clump they found and sent it in for visual identification.
“We did provisionally identify the seaweed as Caulerpa brachypus based on the photograph, but unfortunately the seaweed was no longer there when the person returned so we have been unable, at this stage, to collect a sample for confirmation testing.
We do have a small team up there doing beach-based surveillance. We know that exotic Caulerpa can be spread through breaking into little pieces and can potentially spread over large distances by rafting on floating debris.
This can happen by wave action, or when anchors and fishing gear are moved into or through weed beds, which is why keeping your boat and equipment clean is the best thing you can do to avoid spreading marine pests and diseases, including the exotic Caulerpa.”
