PoO’s monitors of who has been doing what to whom were fascinated to read that “an infestation of invasive clams has forced the draining of a lake in New Plymouth”.
Forced?
We may suppose that was the word employed by local body poohbahs to explain why visitors to the lake this summer will find it isn’t there.
At least, the water won’t be there, and what’s a lake without water?
Stuff reports;
Lake Rotomanu will be emptied this week so scientists can understand the extent of the freshwater gold clam incursion.
The clam Corbicula fluminea was found in the recreational lake five weeks ago in the first discovery outside the Waikato River and the lake was closed to motorised boats.
New Plymouth District Council will open the lake outlet on Thursday and it’ll take four days to drain.
Taranaki Regional Council (TRC) environment services manager Steve Ellis says the lake will be empty for the summer
He will be braced for complaints, presumably, because he is reported as saying:
“It’s a popular summer spot and locals and visitors will be disappointed, but we hope they understand the reasons.
“The invasive clam Corbicula is a massive threat to our infrastructure, economy, ecosystems and recreational use of all the region’s waterways.
“We need to act now to give ourselves the best chance of preventing long-term damage or recreational restrictions.”
Ellis said test results and advice on river salinity and flow had been needed to make sure draining the lake wouldn’t spread the clams to the Waiwhakaiho River.
They are nasty buggers, according to the Department of Conservation website, which says young clams produce an invisible sticky thread of mucus which attaches to surfaces, like boats and recreational gear.
The DOC site says gold clams have been difficult to control overseas and eradication has never been achieved.
It also says gold clams breed rapidly to form dense populations, but it’s not known how the species will respond to New Zealand conditions
Gold clams could compete with native species for food and it’s unclear how they might impact whitebait.
It sounds like the consequences of emptying the lake might be unclear, too – at least, they are not known with certainty.
Rather, Steve Ellis says:
“We’re confident any clams or larvae will be quickly washed the short distance out to sea.”
Another uncertainty is who will pick up the tab:
Ellis said elimination would likely be expensive and it’s unclear who would pay.
There are plenty of possibilities, because the Taranaki Regional Council is leading an outfit called the new Regional Corbicula Coordination Group (RCCG), working with New Plymouth District Council, Ngāti Te Whiti hapū, Biosecurity NZ, Fish & Game, Earth Sciences NZ and others.
Ellis says:
“There is no guarantee we will attempt to treat or eliminate the clams, even if it is technically feasible.
“We’re all aware of the massive economic damage these clams can do, so we’re having those conversations as a matter of urgency.”
An Earth Sciences team will survey the lakebed next week to find out how widespread the clams are, how deep they’ve burrowed and how old they are.
That will inform the next steps: whether elimination is feasible, what treatment options are and how much they’d cost.
And if the emptying of the lake proves to be a biosecurity triumph – what next?
PoO can suggest some possibilities.
First, we are aware of the spread of an invasive seaweed called Caulerpa.
Boaties were banned from dropping anchor or fishing off the seabed anywhere around Little Barrier Island in a bid to stall the spread of the weed.
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) announced the new Controlled Area Notice on July 3 in response to the recent discovery of small patches of the invasive seaweed on the island’s north and east coasts.
The notice prohibits anchoring anywhere around the island to a depth of 40 metres, and makes any form of bottom-contact fishing, such as netting, dredging, bottom trawling or cray-potting, illegal.
A rahui has been laid over the area by the Ngāti Manuhiri Settlement Trust, which has been working with Biosecurity NZ, Auckland Council, the Department of Conservation, the University of Auckland and Revive our Gulf since caulerpa was discovered there in May.
But a rahui has its limits.
Thing big and empty the Gulf.
Hmm. On second thoughts, maybe that’s a tad on the Mission Impossible side of things.
But PoO had another idea: let’s empty Parliament for Christmas-New Year and send in the biosecurity people and pest eradicators to flush it free of irritants, nuisances and what have you following the Taranaki lake example?
Mind you, we quickly recognised the weakness in this proposal: the pests we most want to be rid of are MPs who will be going home for the holidays and (alas) will be back after the holidays.
Bob Edlin is a veteran journalist and editor for the Point of Order blog HERE. - where this article was sourced.
At least, the water won’t be there, and what’s a lake without water?
Stuff reports;
Lake Rotomanu will be emptied this week so scientists can understand the extent of the freshwater gold clam incursion.
The clam Corbicula fluminea was found in the recreational lake five weeks ago in the first discovery outside the Waikato River and the lake was closed to motorised boats.
New Plymouth District Council will open the lake outlet on Thursday and it’ll take four days to drain.
Taranaki Regional Council (TRC) environment services manager Steve Ellis says the lake will be empty for the summer
He will be braced for complaints, presumably, because he is reported as saying:
“It’s a popular summer spot and locals and visitors will be disappointed, but we hope they understand the reasons.
“The invasive clam Corbicula is a massive threat to our infrastructure, economy, ecosystems and recreational use of all the region’s waterways.
“We need to act now to give ourselves the best chance of preventing long-term damage or recreational restrictions.”
Ellis said test results and advice on river salinity and flow had been needed to make sure draining the lake wouldn’t spread the clams to the Waiwhakaiho River.
They are nasty buggers, according to the Department of Conservation website, which says young clams produce an invisible sticky thread of mucus which attaches to surfaces, like boats and recreational gear.
The DOC site says gold clams have been difficult to control overseas and eradication has never been achieved.
It also says gold clams breed rapidly to form dense populations, but it’s not known how the species will respond to New Zealand conditions
Gold clams could compete with native species for food and it’s unclear how they might impact whitebait.
It sounds like the consequences of emptying the lake might be unclear, too – at least, they are not known with certainty.
Rather, Steve Ellis says:
“We’re confident any clams or larvae will be quickly washed the short distance out to sea.”
Another uncertainty is who will pick up the tab:
Ellis said elimination would likely be expensive and it’s unclear who would pay.
There are plenty of possibilities, because the Taranaki Regional Council is leading an outfit called the new Regional Corbicula Coordination Group (RCCG), working with New Plymouth District Council, Ngāti Te Whiti hapū, Biosecurity NZ, Fish & Game, Earth Sciences NZ and others.
Ellis says:
“There is no guarantee we will attempt to treat or eliminate the clams, even if it is technically feasible.
“We’re all aware of the massive economic damage these clams can do, so we’re having those conversations as a matter of urgency.”
An Earth Sciences team will survey the lakebed next week to find out how widespread the clams are, how deep they’ve burrowed and how old they are.
That will inform the next steps: whether elimination is feasible, what treatment options are and how much they’d cost.
And if the emptying of the lake proves to be a biosecurity triumph – what next?
PoO can suggest some possibilities.
First, we are aware of the spread of an invasive seaweed called Caulerpa.
Boaties were banned from dropping anchor or fishing off the seabed anywhere around Little Barrier Island in a bid to stall the spread of the weed.
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) announced the new Controlled Area Notice on July 3 in response to the recent discovery of small patches of the invasive seaweed on the island’s north and east coasts.
The notice prohibits anchoring anywhere around the island to a depth of 40 metres, and makes any form of bottom-contact fishing, such as netting, dredging, bottom trawling or cray-potting, illegal.
A rahui has been laid over the area by the Ngāti Manuhiri Settlement Trust, which has been working with Biosecurity NZ, Auckland Council, the Department of Conservation, the University of Auckland and Revive our Gulf since caulerpa was discovered there in May.
But a rahui has its limits.
Thing big and empty the Gulf.
Hmm. On second thoughts, maybe that’s a tad on the Mission Impossible side of things.
But PoO had another idea: let’s empty Parliament for Christmas-New Year and send in the biosecurity people and pest eradicators to flush it free of irritants, nuisances and what have you following the Taranaki lake example?
Mind you, we quickly recognised the weakness in this proposal: the pests we most want to be rid of are MPs who will be going home for the holidays and (alas) will be back after the holidays.
Bob Edlin is a veteran journalist and editor for the Point of Order blog HERE. - where this article was sourced.
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