Public involvement and partnerships

Members of the public play an important part in keeping the marine environment free of unwanted organisms, and preventing or reducing any damage these may cause, should they occur. There are three key ways in which the public can help to keep a watch out for invasive marine species: ²⁶⁷⁴

• Learn more about marine pests through accessing information and identification guides ²⁶⁷⁵
  
• Keep up-to-date with the biosecurity campaigns or activities underway within a local area
• Call the free Exotic Pest and Disease hotline on 0800 80 99 66

Boat owners have a particular responsibility for marine biosecurity, as fouled boat hulls are a major source of marine pest spread. The boat owner’s guide to preventing the spread of marine pests provides some useful guidance. ²⁶⁷⁶  Divers can also help, by reporting anything unusual they see in an area, or a marine pest from their own area in a new place they are visiting.

Effective action requires co-operation and partnerships. National and regional partnerships are proving to be successful in improving pest management performance in the marine environment. ²⁶⁷⁷

The Fiordland Marine Guardians, MPI, DOC, the Ministry for the Environment and Environment Southland are working in partnership to achieve marine biosecurity protection for Fiordland under a joint-agency Marine Biosecurity Response Agreement for the Fiordland Marine Area. The Fiordland Marine Biosecurity Programme is focused on addressing ways marine risk organisms can be transported into Fiordland, with supporting measures around surveillance, agency co-ordination, and communications for education and behaviour change. The partnership has developed a Fiordland-specific boat cleaning education resource. ²⁶⁷⁹

Last updated at 1:55PM on February 6, 2018