Grass carp ruled out
JODEAL CADACIO
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CONSERVATION Minister Kate Wilkinson may be asked to overturn a decision rejecting the use of grass carp to control noxious weeds in Takapuna's Quarry Lake.
The Department of Conservation has confirmed its Auckland area office's recommendation to reject the proposal by North Shore Radio Yacht Squadron, North Shore City Council and New Zealand Waterways Restoration to use the fish to eradicate pest weeds.
The application had wide support but had been opposed by iwi based in Helensville and Clevedon.
The department's acting general manager – northern Greg Dyer signed the two-page decision on August 26.
New Zealand Waterways' Gray Jamieson says they have asked the department to reconsider its decision.
"If the decision to decline the application stands, we will request an urgent meeting with the conservation minister to seek her intervention," he says.
Mr Jamieson points out that the Ministry of Fisheries, Auckland Waikato Fish and Game Council, Awataha Marae "the appropriate iwi/hapu", Shore city and Auckland regional councils and Land Information NZ all approved the release.
He says the "spurious decision" failed to consider the "public health and safety issues, drownings or the biosecurity issue of this exotic pest weed found nowhere else in New Zealand and should be eradicated".
Squadron commodore Bob Atkinson slammed the department for "refusing to listen to reason".
"We are devastated. It's hard to believe the Department of Conservation will not allow a method of removing banned weeds from the lake yet allow swimmers and schoolchildren to share the lake with dead bird life, and dead fish," he says.
He also criticised the department's apparent failure to consider Northcote's Awataha Marae's cultural effects assessment report supporting the proposal as a way to bring mauri or lifeforce back to the lake.
The department instead gave weight to objections by Clevedon-based Ngai Tai Tamaki Tribal Trust and Helensville-based Ngati Whatua Nga Rima o Kaipara which claimed to have cultural ties with the lake.
Ngai Tai trustee Peter Karaka had raised concerns the Asian community will invade the lake to catch the fish and potentially release them into other waterways, even though the carp can not breed in New Zealand conditions.
Mr Dyer says the risk to fisheries and freshwater fish habitats is potentially high, "therefore this release would be inconsistent with the provisions under the Conservation Act."
- © Fairfax NZ News
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