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NRC Mediteranium Fanworm hunt


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Northland Regional Council  contracted fiz boats are once again diving on (all) hulls in Northern waters in the search for and containment of the dreaded fanworm. There has even been mention of prosecuting yachties found with it, as has already happened in Fiordland. I'm not sure if that was for fanworm or some other forbiden organism. 

I did find out from the NRC chairperson that the cost of the boats and diving contractors is being paid for by MPI, and not NRC as I had originally thought.

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"Why is it a problem?

The Mediterranean fanworm can form dense colonies of up to 1000 individuals per square metre that will exclude the settlement of other organisms. It also has a high filtering ability that may influence the composition of planktonic communities and abundance of some species. The presence of the Mediterranean fanworm in areas where mussels or oysters are located may affect their growth due to competition for food. The tubes of the Mediterranean fanworm may attached themselves to aquaculture equipment or vessels and this may increase harvesting or fuel costs, respectively."

 

Anyone seen it anywhere is numbers other than at the marina?

 

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6 hours ago, Psyche said:

"Why is it a problem?

The Mediterranean fanworm can form dense colonies of up to 1000 individuals per square metre that will exclude the settlement of other organisms. It also has a high filtering ability that may influence the composition of planktonic communities and abundance of some species. The presence of the Mediterranean fanworm in areas where mussels or oysters are located may affect their growth due to competition for food. The tubes of the Mediterranean fanworm may attached themselves to aquaculture equipment or vessels and this may increase harvesting or fuel costs, respectively."

 

Anyone seen it anywhere is numbers other than at the marina?

 

Yeah the bay in front of our yacht club is well infested with it (Parua bay)  . Our race marks need regular cleaning to keep them floating 

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I think "Mediteranian" should be a clue as to how successful its eradication, control will be. They stopped worrying about it in 2010 in Auckland!.  I spent 3 years on the water around Greece / Turkey /Italy, never saw it and was totally unaware of it. I think we should worry more about the Kina barrens and the loss of kelp beds, sea grass etc. We are responsible for most of the imbalance in the aquatic food chain! Commercial fishing, Kahawai as fishfood for overseas salmon farms for example.  Remember how terrible the arrival of the Pacific oyster was when the harbour bridge was being built, soon became a money making business and that got it a stamp of approval. At least with fanworm, NZ waters will me all that much cleaner!!

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5 hours ago, alibaba said:

If you want to assist in eradication, use 'em for bait. I take a bucket of them off my marina berth, then just squeeze them out of the casing , stick on hook. Fish like them!

I’m no expert, but my understanding is that they spawn if scraped - in the water.

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Given that Auckland gave up on Med Fanworm in 2010. That Marsden Marina, Parua bay, Tutukaka? B.o.I. Etc. Etc. all have uncontrollable infestations brings to mind the story in Don Quixote about  "Tilting at windmills" why would you continue to throw money at an issue that already has you beat?? Though certainly if I was one of the diving contractors I wouldn't want it stopped.

Maybe it is the same M.P.I. folk who are trying to eradicate Mycoplasma Bovis, every time they tell us they are close to success, then another farm(s) is found to have it.

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49 minutes ago, Steve Pope said:

Given that Auckland gave up on Med Fanworm in 2010. That Marsden Marina, Parua bay, Tutukaka? B.o.I. Etc. Etc. all have uncontrollable infestations brings to mind the story in Don Quixote about  "Tilting at windmills" why would you continue to throw money at an issue that already has you beat?? Though certainly if I was one of the diving contractors I wouldn't want it stopped.

Maybe it is the same M.P.I. folk who are trying to eradicate Mycoplasma Bovis, every time they tell us they are close to success, then another farm(s) is found to have it.

how are going to combat this, Give up?

Caulerpa brachypus, which can spread rapidly and create dense mats, was found in July in Blind Bay and Tryphena Harbour

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19 hours ago, harrytom said:

how are going to combat this, Give up?

Caulerpa brachypus, which can spread rapidly and create dense mats, was found in July in Blind Bay and Tryphena Harbour

It is a simple fact of life, and the way we are living it, since the 1970's we have developed the consumer society, of course to do that we had to have shipping from every part of the world to every other part, think ballast water, commercial hulls that are cleaned and painted only every 5 years. The dumbing down of anti-foul paint, etc.etc. what could ever go wrong!! the law of unintended consequences or perhaps just plain old fashioned greed?

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9 hours ago, aardvarkash10 said:

warmer water temperatures aid the invasion of tropical organisms as well.  These new (to NZ) species are just another indicator and outcome of warming.  Still, we'll be able to grow bananas in Northland!

Banana's are already being grown commercially (farmers market) in Northland and the small ones have been around for much longer than I've lived up here.

I get at least 1 bunch of the small ones every year.

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23 hours ago, Black Panther said:

I don't think we have anything in the pantry that will stop fanworm . Stopping boats moving up the coast can at best slow it down, but expect Fanworm to eventually spread to everywhere it can survive. It's how biology works. 

Life is very opportunistic.

/Martin

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