Councils in Northland and Auckland have published their rules and guidelines on marine discharges and created a convenient phone app so that you can easily check if you are in a location where you can discharge wastewater. You can get instructions on how to download and use this app here on the Northland Regional Council website. 

If you are boating in either of these regions, please check you have a good understanding of the rules on the relevant council websites:

Marine discharges in Northland 

Boat sewage discharges in Auckland 

A parasite that has the potential to harm the oyster industry has been found in Foveaux Strait but there is hope the systems in place to ensure boats and equipment are clean will help to ensure it doesn’t spread further. ​

On 25 March 2021, three wild oysters from Foveaux Strait were confirmed infected with Bonamia ostreae, a parasite that infects flat oysters, including New Zealand’s flat (Bluff or dredge) oysters, which can cause widespread oyster deaths.
 
Within five days, Ngāi Tahu and Biosecurity New Zealand enacted a rāhui and a Controlled Area Notice to the specific geographical area where the infected oysters were found, to reduce the risk of the disease spreading. Sampling of other sites is also underway. 

​Choosing the right antifouling coating for your boat depends on a large number of factors including how you use the boat and where it is moored, says Brent Wilson of Marsden Cove Marina.  He says it’s important to talk to specialists about what you need because a product that works well on a boat in one location may not work well on the same boat in a different part of the coast. 

Antifoul is considered our best line of defence against marine pests, but it's not the only option.