Going forward to stop Caulerpa

Checking your anchor and chain is all good - but what if conditions are rough and you can’t?

A new education campaign designed by Biosecurity New Zealand asks boaties to check their anchor, chain and equipment for weed and throw any straight back where it came from.

But we know that there are situations where a trip to the bow to check your anchor won’t always be possible - many of you have electric winches for a reason. 

If you are challenged to check your gear on the spot, what should you do? 

“Realistically there are going to be times that you can’t check your anchor or equipment on the spot,” says Jen Prosser, Controller - Exotic Caulerpa, Biosecurity Response Readiness and Response Services, MPI.

“If that happens, our next best advice is to check it as soon as you can, but the key thing is if you are not still in the location where you raised your anchor,  not to dispose of any weed you find back in the sea. Keep it in a safe place, perhaps a sealed plastic bag, and dispose of it once you are ashore on land.” 

Jen says this applies to any piece of weed you find on your equipment. 

“You don’t have to be an expert at identifying Caulerpa to make sure you don’t spread it – all you have to do is check and clean your anchor and equipment and throw any weed you find straight back where it came from,” she says. 

There  are legal controls in place around these waters to help stop the spread, so if you are heading out on the water make sure you check the rules at: biosecurity.govt.nz/Caulerpa

As boaties, you can help by: 

•      Know where exotic Caulerpa is

•      Know the rules about anchoring and fishing in those areas

•      Know what to do: check your gear – anchors and anchor chains especially. If you see any seaweed on your equipment, you should chuck it straight back.

 Keeping your boat and equipment clean is the best thing that you can do to avoid spreading marine pests, including exotic Caulerpa.  

If you spot either of these Caulerpa species, take a photo, record the location and phone the Pest and Disease Hotline at 0800 80 99 66 or complete the online reporting form at report.mpi.govt.nz.

If you have any questions about Caulerpa, email Caulerpa@mpi.govt.nz 

biosecurity.govt.nz/caulerpa