Issue date
The proposed Fiordland Marine Regional Pathway Plan would require all vessels, including cruise ships, to meet clean vessel standards in the hope of reducing the risk of marine pests establishing in Fiordland.
The proposal has been developed by a partnership group including Environment Southland, the Fiordland Marine Guardians, Ministry for Primary Industries, Department of Conservation and Ngai Tahu and could be in place by June. It would be the first of its kind in New Zealand and council are expected to make a final decision within the month.
The plan aims to greatly reduce the risk of marine pests being carried in on local and visiting vessels. It establishes clean vessel standards that all vessels entering Fiordland must meet, regardless of their size, and also proposes a Fiordland clean vessel pass to ensure vessel owners/operators understand and adhere to the standards.
Those standards include having a clean hull (no more than a slime layer and goose barnacles), clean gear (tenders, fishing gear, mooring lines etc free of fouling, sediment and dry), and clean residual seawater (e.g. lobster holding tanks). The other major component of the plan is that users must hold a current clean vessel pass, which requires users to provide information on vessel type, when they are going, where they are going and to declare they understand the standards and will meet these on entry to Fiordland. The pass is free, and will be easy and straightforward to obtain.
Cruise ships won't need a clean vessel pass but will be required to side a deed of agreement with Environment Southland to visit Fiordland, or seek resource consent.
For more information, see es.govt.nz/document-library/plans-policies-and-strategies/regional-plans/Pages/Fiordland-Marine-Pathway-Plan.aspx
