By ANNE BESTON
A claim by a powerboat race organiser that hundreds of protected birds were "chopped up" during a race from Auckland to Whangarei is being investigated by the Department of Conservation.
Offshore Powerboat Association president Wayne Carson claimed in a newspaper article that hundreds of birds, probably a shearwater species,
were killed by the boats which reached up to 175km/h.
Mr Carson later denied the comments and told DoC staff his remarks had been taken out of context.
But the Northern Advocate quoted Mr Carson as saying he thought the "bird population has dropped a couple of hundred" after the boats ploughed through flocks of the birds which can usually be found resting on the ocean at this time of year.
The race was part of the Offshore Powerboat Championship two-stage sprint from Auckland to Whangarei last weekend.
DoC Whangarei spokesman Keith Hawkins said Mr Carson confirmed to him birds had been killed. Deaths of any marine species, including dolphins and whales, were a concern to the department.
It was only the second time the race had been held in that area and DoC would have further talks with the organisers to prevent another bird strike. Mr Carson could not be contacted yesterday.
Mr Hawkins said diving petrels and Buller's shearwaters were two likely species the racers might have come across. Both are fully protected.
