Latest news with #NgātiKuta
NZ Herald
26-05-2025
- General
- NZ Herald
Hundreds join Northland caulerpa webinar to fight invasive seaweed
Also attending are: Northland Regional Council chair Geoff Crawford; exotic caulerpa national advisory group Tai Tokerau Northland representative Natasha Clarke; and Kelliher. Ngāti Kuta trustee Glenys Papuni will speak about the caulerpa work her Te Rāwhiti hāpu is doing. Kelliher said topics addressed would include the latest on where caulerpa has been found in Northland. Participants would also be updated on caulerpa elimination efforts. Kelliher said the webinar had been organised to address the most commonlyasked questions about caulerpa. New technologies being developed in Northland and nationally include a large industrial-scale underwater tractor unit, ultra-violet light treatment, and a movable underwater chlorine treatment chamber. New Zealand's first commercial rapid response caulerpa dive squad recently started surveying for the seaweed and new elimination efforts. Caulerpa was first confirmed in Northland in 2023 at the major boating anchorage of Omākiwi Cove at Te Rāwhiti. The Omākiwi Cove infestation is New Zealand's only mainland caulerpa infestation. Ministry of Primary Industries deputy director general Stuart Anderson said at the time of the seaweed's Omākiwi Cove and surrounds find that the Bay of Islands caulerpa infestation was a sizeable problem. More than 1000ha of the Bay of Islands is now under a Government anchoring ban as efforts to get on top of the pest continue. Hundreds of people rushed to clear Omākiwi Cove and adjacent Whiorau Bay beaches after 500 tonnes of caulerpa washed up over Easter during ex-Tropical Cyclone Tam. New Zealand has recently been warned invasive caulerpa threatens a $9.4 billion hit.
RNZ News
03-05-2025
- General
- RNZ News
Volunteers warn more is needed to halt invasive seaweed species
Ngāti Kuta volunteers cleared up hundreds of tonnes of the invasive seaweed caulerpa, after the ex-Tropical Cyclone Tam weather system roared through Northland. Photo: Supplied Ngāti Kuta, Patuketa A hapū tackling the invasive seaweed caulerpa in the Bay of Islands warns it will spread to the rest of the country, devastating coastal environments and economies, unless more is invested in stopping it short where it is now. When hundreds of tonnes of caulerpa washed ashore after the storms caused by ex-Tropical Cyclone Tam it was a shock to many, except Arana Rewha and Viki Heta. Rewha is the chair of Ngāti Kuta hapū - and an award winning kaitiaki. He's also the first person to discover caulerpa up there after it was first found at Great Barrier in 2021. After caulerpa broke free from the seabed in the storm two weeks ago, Rewha and fellow kaitiaki, Heta, quickly sprang into action, organising volunteers to remove it from Ōmakiwi Cove. The 'sea pest' had plagued Ōmakiwi Cove since May 2023, they said, and was already having detrimental impacts on biodiversity, especially because of its ability to rapidly smother shellfish beds. "It suffocates everything. It's just devastating it's an environmental disaster," Heta said. If caulerpa continued to spread to nearby bays, people in coastal areas who depend on seafood would suffer, Rewha said. "Right now in the Bay of Islands, you can't even anchor your boat, because of the risk of caulerpa spreading. "If we were to lose our coastline to caulerpa, it will greatly affect our economy and everyday living." More than $20m had been allocated towards caulerpa control, the Ministry for Primary Industries said, the biggest response to a marine species to date. But Rewha and Heta said that was not enough, and there needed to be more investment into action, instead of just research. Rewha speculated it could end up being a billion-dollar clean-up. "It's a beast. It grows so fast and it's going to be so expensive to get rid of. But it's a threat to the whole country." They warned that the longer the government held off on eliminating caulerpa, the more costly it would get. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
02-05-2025
- Science
- RNZ News
Tackling caulerpa in Te Tai Tokerau
Photo: Supplied Ngāti Kuta, Patuketa A hapū at the epicentre of the caulerpa outbreak in the Bay of Islands are calling for more concerted effort to deal with the invasive seaweed. When hundreds of tonnes of caulerpa washed ashore after cyclone Tam it was a shock to many except Arana Rewha. He's the chair of Ngāti Kuta hapū - and an award winning kaitiaki. He's also the first person to discover caulerpa up there after it was first found at Great Barrier in 2021.
The Spinoff
01-05-2025
- Health
- The Spinoff
Caulerpa is threatening two of NZ's most vital industries – why isn't it a national pest yet?
Despite the growing threat of caulerpa and its potential to decimate our marine and tourism industries, the government still hasn't classified it as a national pest. Following the barrage of cyclone Tam two weeks ago, hundreds of tonnes of caulerpa washed up on beaches near Rawhiti, on the far north east coast of the North Island. Recognising the need to respond quickly, local hapū Ngāti Kuta and Te Patukeha put out the call to the iwi of Te Tai Tokerau for urgent help. And the iwi responded, with dozens travelling from around the region to lend a hand with the removal of the invasive algae. Described as the 'cancer of the sea' and 'a national emergency', exotic caulerpa is a fast-growing green seaweed found in warm, shallow marine environments. Some species (like caulerpa brachypus, the exotic species in New Zealand) are invasive, spreading rapidly and outcompeting native marine life. Caulerpa can blanket the seabed, suffocating native species and altering ecosystems. Its rapid growth and resistance to grazing make it especially difficult to eradicate once established. 'The whole bay was smothered in it. It was heartbreaking,' said Viki Heta, one of the frontline responders, at a recent hui called to discuss the response of Te Tai Tokerau hapū to the caulerpa epidemic. Native to tropical and subtropical waters of the Pacific, Indian Ocean, and parts of the Mediterranean, officials don't know exactly where or when the toxic, sticky green algae first entered New Zealand waters, but it is believed to have arrived on a vessel travelling from Australia or the Pacific. Despite being initially discovered on the west coast of Aotea in the outer Hauraki Gulf in July 2021, the Ministry for Primary Industries says the amount of caulerpa found in various locations around the North Island suggests it had already been here for several years. Currently, Caulerpa is known to be as far north as the Bay of Islands and as far south as Ahuahu island off the coast of the Coromandel peninsula. While Ngāti Wai are leading the fight against Caulerpa in the Hauraki and surrounds, the battle up north is a cross-iwi effort. In February this year, biosecurity minister Andrew Hoggard announced funding of $6.2m to assist with development of the technology to help control the spread of caulerpa. However, that only brings total government funding to approximately $15m over four years, compared to the $100m Northland Regional Council says is needed to tackle the issue.. The funding appears relatively miniscule next to the industry figures most at risk if caulerpa is not swiftly dealt with. The fishing industry is worth around $5.2 bn annually in economic output and the marine tourism industry is worth approximately $2.1 bn annually.. 'If we don't act now, we could lose our fisheries within a generation,' said hui organiser Nyree Manuel to the meeting of iwi and hapū leaders from Te Tai Tokerau. 'This is bigger than just one rohe – this is a threat to Aotearoa.' However, despite the efforts of iwi leaders such as Te Rūnanga o Te Rarawa chief executive George Riley to have caulerpa classified a national pest species – which would mean the government would have to develop and adequately resource a national pest management plan – caulerpa remains off the list and funding is still comparatively low next to the likes of kauri dieback. 'The response so far has been research-heavy and light on action,' said Jaycee Tapara, who's worked closely with hapū and biosecurity agencies. 'MPI keeps asking for more time, but caulerpa spreads by the tide – it doesn't wait.' Caulerpa continues to spread like a benthic wildfire, destroying anything in its path. While the events following Cyclone Tam spurred hapū from across Te Tai Tokerau into action, key figures behind the scenes recognised that a more organised and intentional plan was required if ongoing meaningful impact was to be achieved. This led to a hui being held late last week to discuss a joint Te Tai Tokerau caulerpa response plan. The hui was a gathering of heavy hitters from the north and beyond. Former Labour MP-turned-consultant Kelvin Davis was on the call, as were several iwi, hapū and marae leaders from throughout Te Tai Tokerau. Māori Crown relations minister Tama Potaka was also on the call, though he did not speak, despite several questions being asked about his government's perceived lack of meaningful action in this space. The hui established that a draft response plan with hapū-led roles, hygiene protocols and team structures was required; it called for urgent government support and iwi inclusion; and emphasised education, coordination and the need for national pest recognition of caulerpa. 'Our hapū and iwi are already organised,' said Te Aupōuri chief executive Tipene Kapa-Kingi. 'It's time for the government to catch up – and front up – with real resources. We're moving ahead with or without them.' Without urgent and meaningful government support, there are fears caulerpa will continue to wreak havoc on the seafloor and threaten an environment vital to two of the county's most prominent industries. Until then, iwi, hapū and community organisations continue to fight against the invasive pest with the few resources they do have. Unfortunately, without adequate resourcing and despite their best efforts, the fight may be in vain. 'The castings on the beach are just the tip,' said Riley. 'If we don't eradicate it underwater, we risk wiping out entire ecosystems – and the livelihoods that depend on them.' This is Public Interest Journalism funded by NZ On Air.
