Mass deaths of fish and seabirds will be more common in Hauraki Gulf - report
State of our Gulf 2023 report at a glance: The latest in a line of reports into the health of the Hauraki Gulf paints a damning picture for the future of one of New Zealands environmental treasures with mass deaths of sealife likely to become more common. The State of our Gulf 2023, released on Friday morning, is part of a series of reports on the region, with previous data being published in 2020. Fridays report, which covers 2019-2022, highlights the growing concerns that climate change is having on the marine environment with the effects already being felt. Mass mortalities of fish, shellfish and seabirds are likely to become increasingly common due to the effects of climate change, the report finds. Recent events have underscored the precarious nature of the situation and the ecological tipping points we seem intent on testing. The waters of the gulf are expected to get warmer, murkier, more acidic and more contaminated, they said. We can expect lethal heatwaves, stronger storms, land inundation and increased coastal erosion. According to the report, commercial fish catch was relatively the same as the previous reporting period, with 21,000 tonnes caught over three years. It was noted that in that catch, there was an almost 70% increase in whai repo (eagle ray) catches since the last report. The invasive seaweed caulerpa was touched on quite heavily in the report due to its threat as a serious marine pest. Environmental reports dont usually use strong wording, but this one speaks of the coming storm and urges readers to help increase the resilience of the Gulf. Hauraki Gulf Forum co-chair Toby Adams said the gulf continues to be pummelled by the actions of humans on land and at sea. Seabirds struggling to feed their young, the near loss of our last scallop beds, zombie kina devouring our kelp and the rise in milky-flesh snapper are just some of the stories that have emerged over the past three years since the last report in 2020, pointing to continued ecological collapse. The report paints a grim picture of the current health of the Hauraki Gulf, Adams said. Forum tangata whenua co-chair Nicola MacDonald said there are some stories of hope. Actions from mana whenua and communities to stand up for the gulf have given power to restoration efforts, she said. MacDonald praised the temporary closure of the gulf to scallop dredging, emphasising that it needed to become permanent. A small amount of optimism shines through in the report with hopes that a decade od advocacy has finally captured the countys attention enough to make big changes. On Wednesday, the Government announced plans to increase protected areas in the region , extending the two existing reserves, while adding 12 high protection areas and five seafloor protection areas.