[APWG] Fw: [ma-eppc] NZ - "rock snot" - aquatic invasive plant
Jil_Swearingen at nps.gov
Jil_Swearingen at nps.gov
Fri Oct 7 14:06:05 CDT 2005
Here's a link to an article with a picture of the algae that is also called
"didymo".
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3428462a3600,00.html
-Jil
----- Forwarded by Jil Swearingen/NCR/NPS on 10/07/2005 03:00 PM -----
Phytodoer at aol.com
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ma-eppc at yahoogrou necis at lists.nationalwildlife.org, nwinvasivespecies at onenw.org, isicontacts at tnc.org
ps.com cc: (bcc: Jil Swearingen/NCR/NPS)
Subject: [ma-eppc] NZ - "rock snot" - aquatic invasive plant
10/07/2005 02:42
PM EDT
assuming this is not a hoax - what a name!
Faith T. Campbell
_______________________________
New Zealand news on Stuff.co.nz: Regional council steps in to stop 'rock
snot'
Saturday, 08 October 2005
© Fairfax New Zealand Limited 2005. All the material on this
page
has the protection of international copyright. All rights
reserved
SEARCH STUFF WEB HEADLINES ALERT
Regional council steps in to stop 'rock snot'
08 October 2005
Otago's regional council yesterday moved decisively on
the
growing "rock snot" crisis, announcing that it would take
the
leadership role in managing the incursion of invasive
algae in
Otago.
"The council is not prepared to accept that the horse has
bolted and just pass on the message to river users that
in
affected areas they must ensure that they clean their
equipment," said council chairman Stephen Cairns.
"We are going step into what we have seen as a void and
take a
leadership role in Otago in exploring preventive and
control
measures in rivers where it is already present".
He warned the council might have to use statutory powers
available to it to to ensure that people and equipment
were
kept out of unaffected rivers in Otago, particularly the
significant tributaries feeding major rivers "until we
all
know exactly what this organism is capable of".
"We are disappointed Biosecurity New Zealand have not got
more
people on the ground," he said. "All we see them doing is
monitoring, doing studies and sending out notices.
The council was considering controlling the spread of
rock
snot by closing down unaffected rivers such as the Dart,
Greenstone and Rees.
"I know in some areas this sort of move is going to be
highly
unpopular. Other areas may be pleased with this outcome.
But
this is a leadership issue. We have got to act and we may
take
some flak."
AdvertisementAdvertisementThere can be degrees of
closure.
One option may be to allow those with permits to operate
on
the river to continue and the river be closed to everyone
else.
"This may mean the rivers will be closed over the summer.
We
may be looking at a couple of months."
Mr Cairns said personally he was in favour of closing the
unaffected rivers.
A meeting next week involving the council and other key
players such as Biosecurity NZ, Fish and Game, and the
Department of Conservation (DOC) would discuss control
measures.
A council policy committee meeting on October 19 will
decide
what measures will be taken in the region to control the
outbreak.
Council chief executive Graeme Martin has proposed
lowering
water levels in streams where rock snot is present,
because
the algae would have difficulty surviving the warmer
temperatures as water levels dropped and the remaining
water
warmed up.
Biosecurity NZ said yesterday its rock snot survey of the
north of the South Island had not found any more rivers
affected by the algae.
All tests on samples from 110 sites proved negative: the
sample from the Buller River only one in the top third of
the
South Island which was infested.
Surveys in the Turangi, Taupo and Tongariro area -
including
rivers highly valued by trout anglers around the world -
started yesterday with a survey due to start about
Tuesday
next week in the lower third of the South Island.
Biosecurity NZ post-clearance manager Peter Thomson told
NZPA
that the initial survey programme would cost between
$300,000
and $400,000 nationally.
"Once we've finished this survey and we'll have a better
picture of the extent of spread. We will then develop the
management and monitoring strategies," he said.
Asked if once the testing had given the Government a
snapshot
of the extent of the problem, Biosecurity NZ would leave
the
algae to be controlled by regional councils, at their
expense,
he said the key was to manage the impact of the organism.
"We can either take a central Government role with
national
pest management programmes, where we are controlling the
entire programme, or we will take a leadership and
coordination role of regional council activities," he
said.
"If there is any transition (of responsibility, to
councils)
we will make sure it is a smooth and managed one".
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