A press release from Environment Southland May 2019.

A further discovery of the invasive seaweed Undaria pinnatifida at a new site in Fiordland was made in April. Divers on a joint agency compliance trip discovered one mature Undaria plant and several juvenile plants on the line of the wreck of the boat ‘Stella’ which is lying on its side on the shore of Chalky Inlet.

Although this the first find in this area, Environment Southland, the Department of Conservation and Biosecurity New Zealand, with support from the Fiordland Marine Guardians, have been working together on an intensive removal programme for Undaria in Breaksea Sound since 2010.

Environment Southland biosecurity and biodiversity operations manager Ali Meade said the latest discovery was very disappointing.

“We’re absolutely gutted to find more Undaria in Fiordland, however it’s very important that we don’t give up now as there’s still a chance to control it. We continue to urge vessel operators to be vigilant. When you come into Fiordland your hull and gear must be clean.”

A team of divers will be assessing the situation in May, before further actions are considered.

“We will send divers in to find out how much Undaria there is. We’ll survey as much of Chalky Inlet as possible, to see if this is an isolated pocket or whether we have a bigger problem.”

Ali said the latest discovery reinforces just how important it is for all boaties to abide by the rules of the Fiordland Marine Regional Pathway Management Plan to stop pests getting into the pristine waters of Fiordland. The plan requires all vessels entering within one nautical mile of the landward boundary of the Fiordland Marine Area to hold a Clean Vessel Pass and to comply with clean vessel, clean gear and residual seawater standards.

Fiordland Marine Guardians chair Rebecca McLeod said visiting Fiordland is an absolute privilege and boaties need to be particularly vigilant when they travel into the fiords.

“Undaria is just one of a number of marine pests in New Zealand waters and we need to make every effort to reduce the risk of anything being carried into the area.”

The New Zealand Geographic Board Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa have opened for public consultation the proposed name changes for the Fiordland Marine Area.  The proposal is for dual te reo Māori and English names for the 16 sounds and inlets in Fiordland.

Public consultation will run for three months from 20 May to 20 August 2019.

The board says restoring traditional Ngāi Tahu names alongside well-known and established English names will recognise the significance of both names and provide a window to rich stories in both Māori and English.

While most of the sounds and inlets in Fiordland are, in strict geographic terms, fiords, the board agreed to retain ‘Sound’ and ‘Inlet’ in the proposed official names because of their long-established common use.

Nancy Sound to Hinenui / Nancy Sound

Bradshaw Sound to Kaikiekie / Bradshaw Sound

Edwardson Sound to Moana-whenua-pōuri / Edwardson Sound

Preservation Inlet to Rakituma / Preservation Inlet

Chalky Inlet to Taiari / Chalky Inlet

Charles Sound to Taiporoporo / Charles Sound

Caswell Sound to Taitetimu / Caswell Sound

Dusky Sound to Tamatea / Dusky Sound

Thompson Sound to Te Awa-o-Tū / Thompson Sound

Long Sound to Te Awaroa / Long Sound

Sutherland Sound to Te Hāpua / Sutherland Sound

George Sound to Te Houhou / George Sound

Cunaris Sound to Te Korowhakaunu / Cunaris Sound

Breaksea Sound to Te Puaitaha / Breaksea Sound

Dagg Sound to Te Rā / Dagg Sound

The NZ Gazette notice is also on the Internal Affairs and LINZ websites.

For the last few years the Ministry for Primary Industries has contracted Young Fishing Limited to undertake hull inspections of known Fiordland-bound vessels based in Bluff and Stewart Island for the presence of marine pests e.g. the invasive seaweed Undaria pinnatifida.

As of 1 May, until 31 October 2019, there will be no routine monthly vessel hull inspections for marine pests undertaken by Young Fishing Ltd in Bluff and Stewart Island. However, if you are travelling to Fiordland over this time on-request inspections are still available.

To arrange an on-request inspection during this period, please contact Young Fishing Ltd on 027 680 1258 or youngfishingco@xtra.co.nz.

March 2019: Restrictions on anchoring, mooring, gear and water movement are still in place in Breaksea Sound. Since December 2017 restrictions have been put in place within the Controlled Area in the Beach Harbour-John Islands area of the Sound to help slow the spread of the invasive Asian kelp Undaria pinnatifida (Undaria) from a known infestation.

A statement in the press (Southland Times pg 5, 21 Feb) asserted that efforts to control Undaria had been abandoned. This statement is incorrect. The recent discovery of further spread of Undaria in the Sound, however, has prompted the proposal of new rules for boaties. Environment Southland has recommended permanent rules in the Proposal for a Southland Regional Pest Management Plan, as a replacement for the Controlled Area Notice to try and prevent further human-assisted spread. The rules will place the emphasis on boaties moving in and out of Breaksea Sound to ensure their boats and gear are free from Undaria contamination and support enforcement of anybody found in breach of the rules. In the meantime, the Controlled Area Notice remains in place and vessel operators are reminded about the need for vigilance when coming into Fiordland.

To find out more about the Proposal for a Southland Regional Pest Management Plan and the staff recommendation for Undaria go to  http://www. haveyoursay.es.govt.nz/pest-plan For the latest information about the controlled area please visit www.es.govt.nz and search “Controlled Area for Breaksea Sound”.