Didymo News

To have any chance of controlling Didymo we must detect an incursion as early as possible. To increase our chances, a monitoring or early warning system is being implemented at critical sites throughout the North Island. Taupo/Tongariro DoC staff are conducting fortnightly sampling on high risk sites within the Conservancy. This programme will be implemented throughout the North Island by the regional action groups with regional councils in particular playing a key role.

After a huge amount of laboratory testing a potential control tool has been developed by NIWA. Chelated Copper has been extremely good at killing Didymo in laboratory conditions while having little impact on indigenous flora and fauna. As a consequence of these encouraging results, field trials are currently being undertaken in the South Island.

A further delimiting survey was carried out throughout New Zealand in January and early February. With almost all of the North Island samples analysed there is still no indication of a North Island incursion. This is fantastic news, particularly given the seemingly relentless spread through the South Island.

The spread of Didymo through the South Island increases the chance of a North Island incursion and puts yet more pressure on our operations. The current priorities are:

• Implementing more effective boarder control. We are currently working with BNZ to extend the coverage at the Cook Strait Ferry. It is also clear that a fresh approach is required to get the message to travellers using our domestic airports
• Developing a monitoring programme to maintain regular surveillance at critical North Island sites

On the 1st October 2006 the Central North Island ‘STOP DIDYMO’ Campaign was launched at Lake Tarawera to coincide with the start of the new fishing season. ‘Clean, Check, Dry’ demonstrations were conducted and Didymo decontamination bottles were distributed.

Since then the ‘Stop Didymo’ public awareness and education campaign has focused on intercepting high risk parties travelling between waterways and more specifically, those travelling to the North Island from the South Island (Controlled Area).
Highlights include: