Marine pests
Marine pests pose a major threat to Canterbury's beautiful coastal waters. It's important that we all work together to limit their spread.
Marine pests are species that have been introduced to our waters and have the potential to severely damage our marine ecosystems by outcompeting native species for food and space.
This damage can have a devasting effect on our natural resources, marine industries, water quality and mahinga kai.
Keep your vessel clean and pest free
You can help protect Canterbury's beautiful waterways and marine ecosystems by being a good boatie and keeping a clean hull. Check out our handy guide to good boat maintenance practices.
Seen something unusual? Report it
Ministry for Primary Industries' Pest and Diseases hotline
Call the Ministry for Primary Industries' Pest and Diseases hotline on 0800 80 99 66. If possible, please take photos and record the location. The location could be the name of a vessel and where it was moored, or the physical location if it was found on the sea floor or structures.
Take a photo and report it using the Find-A-Pest app
The Find-A-Pest app enables you to report potential pest species, including marine, plant, animal and fungal species.
If you come across something out of the ordinary, simply upload a picture to the app and a Find-A-Pest specialist or the iNaturalist community will help identify it. If your observation is considered a potential biosecurity threat, this will be forwarded to Biosecurity New Zealand to contact you if necessary.
If taking a photo of a vessel, be sure to capture the name and its location for tracing purposes.
Resources
Check out the following resources to learn more about marine biosecurity in New Zealand:
- Marine Biosecurity Porthole - a database for records of invasive marine species findings.
- Download the Biosecurity New Zealand marine pest ID guide (PDF file, 2.6 MB).
- Visit Maritime New Zealand's webpage on your environmental responsibilities and how they relate to the marine environment.
Stay informed
Sign up to biosecurity bulletin, our quarterly newsletter.