Susan Botting

1 week ago | nzherald.co.nz | Susan Botting

NRC chair Geoff Crawford. Photo / Susan BottingNorthland Regional Council is to stop putting money into the $25 million fight against invasive caulerpa seaweed. Northland Regional Council (NRC) chair Geoff Crawford last night told an online caulerpa hui that the council had already put in $1.25 million since the exotic pest was confirmed in the Bay of Islands in 2023. Crawford said later that funding responses such as for caulerpa was not the council’s role.

1 week ago | nzherald.co.nz | Susan Botting

Urupukapuka Island's Otehei Bay is a popular tourist destination that will soon be surveyed for the presence of caulerpa. Photo / NZME A Bay of Islands boat anchoring ban is unlikely to be extended despite exotic invasive caulerpa now being found outside its 1058ha restricted area. The equivalent of 1525 rugby fields around the eastern Bay of Islands mainland at Te Rāwhiti is currently locked up to boat anchoring, most fishing, and kaimoana gathering under a government-controlled area notice.

1 week ago | nzherald.co.nz | Susan Botting

Hundreds of locals raced to clean up tonnes of caulerpa washed ashore at Omākiwi Cove and Whiorau Bay by ex-Tropical Cyclone Tam over Easter. More than 300 people will be attending New Zealand’s first major online caulerpa webinar on Tuesday evening. The groundbreaking online Northland-focused caulerpa hui had 343 registrations and counting on Monday morning. It has been organised by Northland’s Conquer Caulerpa Trust.

2 weeks ago | nzherald.co.nz | Susan Botting

In between dives at Urupukapuka Island's Paradise Bay are Northland-based Northern Divers team members (from left) Tureiti Heta (Whangārei), company managing director Stephen Te Tai (Whangārei), Corey Dalley-Takaia (Kaeo) and Shanon Scott (Pakaraka)A leader in the fight against an invasive superspreader seaweed is seeking more than half a million dollars to extend the range of New Zealand’s first commercial caulerpa rapid response dive team.

1 month ago | rnz.co.nz | Susan Botting

New Zealand's economy risks a $9.4 billion hit as the invasive seaweed caulerpa gains an increasing stronghold - with reports of it now spreading to the Bay of Islands tourist town of Russell. That's the stark warning after new NZIER analysis showed caulerpa's spread will impact tourism and recreation, commercial fishing, aquaculture and ecosystems if more is not done to stop the spread.