Helicopter to be used in search of estuaries for spartina
For more information:
Please contact:
Dave Rees, DOC Motueka Area Office, phone +64 3 528 1420,
or Trish Grant, DOC communications adviser, phone +64 3 546 3146.
For a photo of spartina, contact Trish Grant, phone +64 3 546 3146 or email tgrant@doc.govt.nz.
Date: 18 February 2008
The Department of Conservation and the Tasman District Council are taking to the skies in their latest tactic for hunting out scattered remnants of the invasive estuarine weed spartina.
Searches for the introduced grass will be made from a low-flying helicopter over estuarine areas in Tasman Bay, Golden Bay and the Whanganui Inlet in coming weeks.
DOC Motueka biodiversity threats programme manager Dave Rees said use of a helicopter for spartina surveillance was being trialled for the first time in the Nelson-Tasman region.
"In the past, we've generally searched on foot for spartina but use of a helicopter has proved to be effective over large areas elsewhere so we are trialling it in Nelson-Tasman this summer.
"When people see the helicopter flying low over estuaries in a grid pattern they are likely to wonder what is going on so we wanted to let people know that the helicopter is being used to look for spartina."
Areas to be searched include Waimea Estuary, including around Mapua, Moutere Inlet, the Motueka area, the Abel Tasman National Park and Farewell Spit coastlines, and Whanganui Inlet.
Spartina was once widespread in Nelson-Tasman and action to progressively control it has been ongoing for more than 30 years. Surveys for it are made yearly with small pockets of it still being found and these are ground sprayed using knapsack sprayers and the herbicide Gallant. Both agencies believe it may now be possible to eradicate it.
Spartina is an estuarine grass, native to Britain, which grows in inter-tidal areas. It was planted in estuarine areas of New Zealand between 1913 and the late 1950s, mostly in a bid to reclaim estuaries to provide extra land for grazing and habitation.
Spartina though proved to be very invasive, taking over mud-flats and inter-tidal areas. It competes with native grasses and other estuarine vegetation, gradually reducing the area available for wading birds to feed and roost.
Anyone aware of sites where spartina is growing can report it to a local DOC or Tasman District Council office.