Caulerpa Controlled Area Notice Extended Until End Of Month
Written by John Grant on October 19, 2022
The Ministry of Primary Industries has today extended the Controlled Area Notice (CAN) through to the end of October. The current notice was due to expire on 20 October and a number of boaties were awaiting the announcement of any extension or change. In extending the notice to 11:59pm on 31 October MPI have shown a willingness to give some latitude for boaties wanting safe harbour in various locations on the western side of the barrier and western locations on Great Mercury Island.
The CAN prohibits the area for fishing
Notice of controls for Great Barrier Island zones
For the purposes of the controls imposed below, Zone A, Zone B, and Zone C are collectively referred to as “the Great Barrier Island Zones”.
(1) No person may remove any sea organisms (such as fish, seaweed, crayfish, or shellfish) from any of the Great Barrier Island Zones.
(2) No person may move craft (such as boats) or equipment (such as crayfish pots) into any of the Great Barrier Island Zones for the purposesof seafood gathering activities (such as fishing, dredging, collecting shellfish, or putting down crayfish pots).
(3) No person may move any of the following things out of the Great Barrier
Island Zones without complying with the cleaning directions in clause 8(1):
(a) Any equipment used for water-based activities (including, but not limited to, diving, kayaking, canoeing, swimming, snorkelling, free diving and paddling) including footwear, wetsuits, diving equipment, and boat-trailers and associated vehicles.
(4) No craft (such as boats) that have anchored within any of the Great Barrier Island Zones may be moved out of the Great Barrier Island Zones without being granted a permit.
To apply for a permit, please email [email protected].
Notice of controls for Great Mercury Island zone (Zone D) For the purposes of the controls imposed below, Zone D is referred to as “the Great Mercury Island Zone”.
(1) No person may remove any sea organisms (such as fish, seaweed, crayfish, or shellfish) from the Great Mercury Island Zone.
(2) No person may move craft (such as boats) or equipment (such as crayfish pots) into the Great Mercury Island Zone for the purposes of seafood gathering activities (such as fishing, dredging, collecting shellfish, or putting down crayfish pots).
(3) No person may move any of the following things out of the Great Mercury Island Zone without complying with the cleaning directions in clause 8(1):
(a) Any equipment used for water-based activities (including, but not limited to, diving, kayaking, canoeing, swimming, snorkelling, free diving, and paddling) including footwear, wetsuits, diving
equipment, and boat-trailers and associated vehicles.
(4) No craft (such as boats) that have anchored within the controlled area may be moved out of the Great Mercury Island Zone without complying with the cleaning directions in clause 8(2).
Boats are able to travel through the areas and if they anchor then must have a permit to leave (Zones A,B,C) or comply with cleaning requirements for Zone D.
As it stands, the current CAN prohibits any form of fishing in the four areas where exotic Caulerpa seaweed is present – Blind Bay, Whangaparapara Harbour and Tryphena Harbour at Aotea Great Barrier Island, and off the western coastline of Ahuahu Great Mercury Island.
A new public information campaign starts this Labour Weekend to inform boaties and other visitors to the islands about the situation, the CAN and the measures they must take to prevent its spread.
The key campaign message is: Together, let’s stop the spread and leave exotic Caulerpa where it is. See weed, Chuck it straight back.
