Bay of Plenty Times
  • Bay of Plenty Times home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport

Locations

  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Katikati
  • Tauranga
  • Mount Maunganui
  • Pāpāmoa
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Bay of Plenty Times

Local Focus: Check, Clean and Dry pest campaign for boaties ramps up for summer

Gavin Ogden
By Gavin Ogden
Video Journalist, Tauranga, NZH Local Focus·NZ Herald·
25 Oct, 2021 05:00 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Biosecurity officers to patrol Bay of Plenty boat ramps to stop the spread of weeds and pests.

The spread of freshwater pests can be reduced by a simple 'Check, Clean, Dry and Certify' by Bay of Plenty boaties this summer.

The rule applies to users of freshwater boat ramps in the region only and was introduced as part of last year's pest management plan.

"These sets of rules are the first of their kind in New Zealand," said Te Wakaunua Te Kurapa, biosecurity officer at the Bay of Plenty Regional Council Toi Moana.

"The rule applies to all freshwater bodies within the Bay of Plenty and you'll see self-certification stands located at many of the more popular boat ramps around the Rotorua lakes."

As summer approaches, boaties can expect to see an increased presence of biosecurity officers.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"The Rotorua lakes are unique in that there are 14 lakes located within close proximity to each other. There is a high risk of noxious weeds and pest fish being transported when lake users move from lake to lake," Te Kurapa said.

"Te Arawa Lakes Trust, in partnership with the regional council, will be responsible for maintaining compliance.

"There'll be people at most of the busy boat ramps to ensure that people understand what's required of them before they enter the lakes."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The operations manager at Te Arawa Lakes Trust, William Anaru, said stowaway catfish and their eggs are being targeted.

"We've seen with the catfish problem in Rotoiti and Rotorua that it's having a devastating impact on our taonga species, mainly koura," he said.

"Their numbers have dropped off quite a lot since we found catfish in those lakes."

Completing a self-assessment should only take five to 10 minutes, he said.

Discover more

New Zealand

Local Focus: Pāpāmoa becoming a surf skate mecca for women

23 Sep 02:05 AM
New Zealand

Local Focus: Meet the king of the sandcastle

30 Sep 01:03 AM
New Zealand

Local Focus: Walking with the rhythm of Mauao

31 Oct 08:16 PM
New Zealand

Local Focus: Council hopes to create 'Olympic-quality' skatepark

04 Nov 06:00 PM

"We really want people to walk around the boat and trailer and check all the little nooks and crannies, all the pipes and behind the tyres.

"Checking your anchor, making sure there's no weed in there.

"Something that doesn't get mentioned a lot is if you do catch a catfish, is to kill it before taking it away from the lake and dispose of it properly."

Before boat ramp inspections were introduced, only around a third of boaties were complying with the rule.

"With the boat ramp inspections, the compliance is a lot higher," Anaru said.

"Last year we might have done over a thousand boat ramp inspections and there were only about 10 or 15 that might have had a piece of weed on there, so most people are pretty good."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Bay of Plenty Times

'God-given right': Family defends largely unconsented homestead on rural land

04 Jul 08:45 PM
Bay of Plenty Times

'I'm proud of you': Sister's final message before fatal crash

04 Jul 06:03 PM
Bay of Plenty Times

Farmer's harrowing hours crushed beneath tractor

04 Jul 02:00 AM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

'God-given right': Family defends largely unconsented homestead on rural land

'God-given right': Family defends largely unconsented homestead on rural land

04 Jul 08:45 PM

A family wanted to be left alone to develop their land without council interference.

'I'm proud of you': Sister's final message before fatal crash

'I'm proud of you': Sister's final message before fatal crash

04 Jul 06:03 PM
Farmer's harrowing hours crushed beneath tractor

Farmer's harrowing hours crushed beneath tractor

04 Jul 02:00 AM
Farmer's harrowing hours crushed beneath tractor

Farmer's harrowing hours crushed beneath tractor

From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Bay of Plenty Times e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Bay of Plenty Times
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP