The only specialised marine publication in Oceania that focuses on the maritime industry, from super yachts to small craft to large commercial ships, including coastal shipping, tugs, tow boats, barges, ferries, tourist, sport-fishing craft
Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaleditions.com/i/131029
WATERFRONT BUSINESS In brief… Bluff oysters are OK As the New Zealand oyster season approaches it is always a worry that the pesky microscopic killer Bonamia may have again woven its evil among our unique open seabeds in Foveaux Strait. Decimating stocks in the past, Bonamia was so bad at one stage that dredging was banned from 1994 to 1996 to allow stocks to rejuvenate. "It will always be with us," said Graeme Wright, manager of Invercargill's Barnes Oysters. "It's been around since the 60s but we didn't know what it was back then. It bit us on the bum in the 90s and then between 2001-2003 scientists estimate Bonamia killed 90 percent of the adult population." Since then all the players in the oyster game have made a significant investment in science to learn more about the parasite. "Our annual quota take, 11.5 million oysters this year, has no effect on the population compared with the devastation that Bonamia can cause. But we keep a watch on things and work closely with the skippers," Wright said. This might all sound a bit depressing but it is not. Signs are the fishery is rebuilding and the quality of the oysters gathered in the first few days was outstanding – fat and juicy. And here is another good bit of news. Barnes processes the catch from seven of the 11 boats with quota and the lot stays in New Zealand. "The cadmium levels in our oysters are higher than recommended by world standards, not dangerously so but too much to export." Outstanding. The oyster boss's quip that you would have to eat a boatload by yourself for the cadmium to kick in was reassuring enough. Fish recall Foodstuffs were quick in initiating a voluntary product recall for fresh fish bought before March 6. After two reported cases of illness, customers who bought Trevally fillets from Pak'nSave and New World supermarkets throughout the Upper North Island were at risk of histamine poisoning, recognized by symptoms of tingling and burning sensations around the mouth, facial flushing and diarrhoea. Foodstuffs could not confirm the severity of those affected by the high levels of histamine in the fish, but suggest customers concerned about their ongoing health seek medical advice. Customers were advised to return the product to their retailers for a refund. Foodstuffs remained silent on whether they would reimburse customers for medical bills. 44 Professional Skipper May/June 2013 OIL RECOVERY VESSEL A MULTI-PURPOSE ASSET AUCKLAND SHIPYARD MCMULLEN and Wing, best known for its custom luxury yachts, has been awarded the contract to design and build a brand new oil recovery vessel for Auckland. Due to be completed in June this year the Auckland Council Harbour Master will operate the vessel, enabling the Harbour Master to respond quickly to an oil recovery incident. Designed as a multi-purpose asset, the new vessel will be a busy contributor to the day-to-day running of the harbour. It will carry on-road and off-road vehicles to Hauraki Gulf islands, service buoys and markers, and support dive teams. The vessel can be transported by road, making it accessible to operations on both the Waitemata and Manukau harbours, as well as potentially offering support to neighbouring regions. Proposal for Rena wreck awaits resource consent IN FEBRUARY THIS year the owner and insurer of MV Rena put forward a proposal involving an application for consent under the Resource Management Act to leave the remains in a way that is safe for the public, as well as the future regeneration of the Astrolabe Reef. Feedback was sought in a series of conferences with the Bay of Plenty community, iwi and hapu focus groups and drop-in Open Days held in Mount Maunganui at the end of February. "Our work programme for the rest of the year will focus on addressing contaminants, the removal of debris from a 10,000 square metre area around the wreck and in due course to make it safe for recreational diving." Said Captain John Owen of the Swedish Club, speaking on behalf of the owner and insurer. A full removal of the wreck of the MV Rena would mean greater damage to the reef, the exclusion area would remain out of bounds for longer and work would present major operational challenges, as well as potentially dangerous working conditions for those involved. The past 16 months have seen operations, including technical assessments of partial or full wreck removal options, costing in excess of $275 million. UNREPORTED CATCH ACCORDING TO A recent article published in The Sydney Morning Herald Chinese fishing vessels are taking a huge unreported catch. A scientific group, headed by Canadian Daniel Pauly, estimated that China was taking 198,000 tonnes of fish a year from the Pacific. This number is significantly higher than its reported western Pacific catch, almost exclusively of tuna, of 105,000 tonnes in 2011. Pauly's group reconstructed catches from 2000-11, but acknowledges that they are estimates and have a high degree of uncertainty. According to Greenpeace, China has rapidly expanded into Pacific fisheries, with 241 China-flagged vessels approved to fish by the Forum Fisheries Agency – more than doubling in a few years. The director of China's International Co-operation at the Bureau of Fisheries, Xiaobing Liu, said that last year it took 1.15 million tonnes, three times the figure reported to the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organisation.