Biosecurity New Zealand works in partnership with local mana whenua and the Northland Regional Council to respond to exotic Caulerpa

Biosecurity New Zealand, local mana whenua, and the Northland Regional Council are working together on next steps after divers searching the waters around Te Rāwhiti, the Bay of Islands, found a substantial amount of exotic Caulerpa seaweed, suggesting it’s likely been in the area for a number of seasons. Biosecurity New Zealand and its partners have been responding to an earlier detection of what was believed to be exotic seaweed found washed up on a beach in the Omākiwi Cove area earlier in the month. Biosecurity New Zealand’s deputy director-general Stuart Anderson says while the find of large areas of exotic Caulerpa is disappointing, it isn’t unexpected. "Climate change, warmer temperatures and the ease of international movement will continue to present biosecurity challenges, but we’re committed to work through them with our partners, including local councils and mana whenua. "We expect to have a controlled area notice (CAN) in place next week for a defined area around ...