MAF Biosecurity 92.Indd
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
JUUNE 2009 Giving biofouling the slip Aquatic animal diseases Antarctica: the driest, coldest, windiest continent 92 Biosecurity magazine Biosecurity is published six-weekly by MAF Biosecurity New Zealand. It is of special interest to all those with a stake in the protection of New Zealand’s economic, 6 1414 2323 environmental and social assets from the dangers posed by pests and diseases. Animal welfare issues are also covered. The articles in this magazine do not necessarily CONTENTS reflect government policy. For enquiries about specific articles, refer Editorial 3 to the contact listed at the end of each article. Biofouling control methods for arriving yachts 4 General enquiries (e.g. circulation requests Cling-ons on the starboard bow: the biosecurity risks of vessel biofouling 6 or information about The “number-8 wire” approach to reducing biofouling risk 8 MAF Biosecurity New Zealand): Acting in the marine environment through partnerships 10 Biosecurity Magazine MAF Biosecurity New Zealand Recreational vessels: options for managing biosecurity risks 11 PO Box 2526 Marinas and MAFBNZ working together for marine biosecurity 12 Pastoral House, 25 The Terrace, Wellington, New Zealand Marine Value Mapping: questions of what, why and where 13 Phone: 0800 00 83 33 Elimination of fanworm proceeds in Lyttelton Port 14 Email: [email protected] Fishing for marine biosecurity threats 16 Internet: www.biosecurity.govt.nz Have your say – commercial harvest of undaria 16 Editorial enquiries: Aquatic animal diseases and diagnostics 18 Phone: 04 894 0774 New principal adviser for aquatic animal diseases 20 ISSN 1174 – 4618 Production and printing management by Biosecurity essential to New Zealand’s aquaculture success 21 City Print Communications in association First saltwater crocs emigrate to NZ 22 with Context Public Policy Communications. Protecting the driest, coldest, windiest continent 23 Keeping an eye out for the pine sawyer beetle 26 Red Imported Fire Ants eradicated from Napier 28 Pest mosquito eliminated from Coromandel 29 “Declare or dispose” 30 Detector dogs to become stars of the small screen 31 People in biosecurity 31 Updates 32 Environmental Paper Profile Directory 33 Biosecurity Magazine is printed on Sumo Gloss. Sumo is an environmentally responsible paper manufactured under the environmental management system ISO 14001 using Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF) pulp sourced from sustainable, well managed forests. 92 Naomi Parker EDITORIAL Giving biofouling the slip Invasive species are one of the four greatest threats to extensive in “niche areas” such as sea chests, propeller shafts, or bow thrusters even when the main hull of a vessel is clean, our marine ecosystems, along with land-based pollution, and slow moving or poorly maintained vessels can accumulate the over-exploitation of living marine resources and the literally tonnes of biofouling. The research has also identified a alteration or destruction of marine habitat. range of potential measures to address biofouling risks such as designing vessels so that antifouling systems are more effective, applying different antifouling paints to niche areas, or using hile biosecurity in a terrestrial context has been targeted and contained in-water cleaning. (See page 6 article around for well over a century, marine biosecurity for more details on biofouling risks.) Wis a much younger discipline and has only really As a result of these research findings, there is starting to be been identified as a major issue in the past 20 or so years. international movement on the biofouling issue. In 2007, There are two major opportunities for the unintentional New Zealand, along with the United Kingdom, Australia, the introduction of species into New Zealand, both of which relate International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and to shipping – ballast water (water carried inside a vessel for the Friends of the Earth International were successful in stabilisation) and biofouling (the attachment of organisms to getting the development of management measures for the outside of a vessel and in its internal water systems). biofouling on the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Marine Environment Protection Committee’s agenda. The Shipping is an international industry, so managing the risks IMO is the major standard setting body for marine biosecurity from marine pests and diseases associated with shipping needs issues related to shipping. an international approach. New Zealand has mandatory requirements for vessels to manage their ballast water, and is Since February 2008, MAF Biosecurity New Zealand currently working through the processes to become a party to (MAFBNZ) has been leading an IMO “correspondence group” the 2004 International Convention for the Control and on biofouling – a group with representatives from some 18 Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments. countries and nine non-governmental organisations, including industry peak bodies and conservation groups. The group has The situation for managing biofouling is very different. There been working via email to summarise what we know about are currently no internationally agreed biofouling measures in biofouling from research, to look at the potential impacts – place. For New Zealand this is a major concern because positive and negative – of biofouling regulations on industry analysis by the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric and on the environment, and to identify best practice Research (NIWA) of the introduced marine species that we measures for managing biofouling. already have suggests up to 87 percent of species are likely to have been introduced as biofouling (Kospartov et al (in Based on the correspondence group’s work, in February of this press))1. year the IMO agreed to the development of international guidelines for managing biofouling on ships. This is a Until recently, there was a belief that antifouling paints had significant step forward and could mean that an minimised the risk of invasion through biofouling but research internationally agreed approach is only a few years away – undertaken here and in Australia has shown that biofouling is which is lightning speed for international measures and good a real and ongoing biosecurity concern. Biofouling can be news for our marine ecosystems. 1 Kospartov K; Inglis G; Seaward K; Brink A van den; D’Archino R; Ahyong S (in press) Non- ■ Dr Naomi Parker, IMO biofouling correspondence group Chair, indigenous and cryptogenic marine species in New Zealand. Current state of knowledge MAFBNZ Manager Strategic Science Team, Senior Science Adviser – Marine. – Interim report prepared for MAFBNZ Post Border Directorate. MAFBNZ, Wellington, New Zealand. MAF BIOSECURITY NEW ZEALAND 3 92 MARINE O G CS Example of extreme vessel biofouling. Formal controls are being developed to minimise the risk of biofouling introducing aquatic species that could harm New Zealand’s marine environment. on-indigenous marine Recent work found between 69 and organisms pose a major 90 percent of known introduced Nthreat to New Zealand’s marine organisms in New Zealand were marine environment. These species probably brought in via hull biofouling. can cause significant harm by MAF Biosecurity New Zealand dominating native communities, (MAFBNZ) is working through the displacing local species, as well as International Maritime Organisation impacting on aquaculture operations. (IMO) to develop international measures for minimising the Introduced marine organisms typically transfer of invasive aquatic species arrive either in ballast water or as through biofouling on ships. biofouling (animals attached to a vessel’s hull). Ballast water is regulated A formal risk analysis of biofouling MAFBNZ’s Grant Weston holding the SCUBAR camera by an import health standard that on recreational vessels arriving in system. requires all vessels planning to New Zealand is underway at present, many having growth on their hulls, discharge ballast water in New Zealand and a discussion paper will be mainly in niche areas such as the rudder to have exchanged that water in the available later this year as part of public consultation on measures and keel. International yachts, most of open ocean (more than 200 nautical being developed by MAFBNZ to which arrive in Opua, Northland, make miles from land and at a water depth of minimise the risk, particularly up about 20 percent of New Zealand’s more than 200 metres). from international yachts. total vessel arrivals. Vessel biofouling has only been A recent biofouling survey of 181 While formal controls are being recognised as a means of introducing international yachts and launches found developed to address the issue of invasive species for the past decade. them to be a high-risk pathway, with biofouling, MAFBNZ has been 4 MAF BIOSECURITY NEW ZEALAND MARINE 92 Quarantine Wharf at Opua – the first civilisation many yachties see when they arrive in New Zealand. running a voluntary compliance effort A communications programme has level of biofouling, including requiring for some years. been developed around the need for cleaning at facilities that met MAF’s Over the past year, extra effort has vessel cleaning, stressing the key biosecurity standards. Vessels would be been put in to raise awareness and message of “clean and antifoul your lifted from the water and all biofouling encourage good practice in keeping boat”. Brochures are included with removed. Large material, such as hulls clean, particularly for yachts government agencies’ yacht seaweed