Marine farms could threaten dolphin habitat

Marine farm applications under appeal in Admiralty Bay could threaten the habitat of dusky dolphins if they are allowed to proceed, a Marlborough environmental group says.

Co-chairman of Friends of Nelson Haven and Tasman Bays Steffan Browning will present a discussion on the issue at a Marlborough District Council environment committee meeting later this month, with the request that councillors take a strong course of action to reverse the granted applications.

Research conducted by Bernd Wursig, an expert in the behaviour and ecology of dusky dolphins, suggests that dolphins don't feed in areas where mussel farms are present.

Marlborough District Council resource consents officer Keith Heather said it was not possible for council to go back on its own decisions. However, he acknowledged that there had been a change of heart concerning the granted applications. These included a MacLab application for a 28ha mussel farm in the bay, and Admiralty Bay Consortium's application for a significant number of extensions almost doubling existing marine farms in the bay.

Mr Heather said an appeal by Kuku Mara Partnership for two mid-bay mussel farms in Admiralty Bay was declined earlier this year, with the dusky dolphin habitat being a key factor in the judges ruling, he said.

"We had declined the Kuku Mara applications based on the threat to dusky dolphins, and when they were appealed, part of our defence was the findings of Mr Wursig. Now, the boot's on the other foot. The next hearing is the MacLab application, which council approved long before it knew about the dolphin research."

While council couldn't oppose a decision it made, it would be able to present new evidence in court, he said.

"Hopefully we can get Mr Wursig to give evidence on our behalf. And then it's up to the environment court to decide what to do with it."

- nzpa