The Country
  • The Country home
  • Latest news
  • Audio & podcasts
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life
  • Listen on iHeart radio

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Coast & Country News
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Horticulture
  • Animal health
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life

Media

  • Podcasts
  • Video

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whāngarei
  • Dargaville
  • Auckland
  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Hamilton
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Te Kuiti
  • Taumurunui
  • Taupō
  • Gisborne
  • New Plymouth
  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Whanganui
  • Palmerston North
  • Levin
  • Paraparaumu
  • Masterton
  • Wellington
  • Motueka
  • Nelson
  • Blenheim
  • Westport
  • Reefton
  • Kaikōura
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Christchurch
  • Ashburton
  • Timaru
  • Wānaka
  • Oamaru
  • Queenstown
  • Dunedin
  • Gore
  • Invercargill

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • What the Actual
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / The Country

Work under way to rid Ahuriri Estuary of tubeworms

Hawkes Bay Today
13 Nov, 2017 09:00 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Shane Gilmer (left), HBRC water quality and ecology resource technician and senior scientist for coastal quality, Anna Madarasz-Smith. Photo / Supplied

Shane Gilmer (left), HBRC water quality and ecology resource technician and senior scientist for coastal quality, Anna Madarasz-Smith. Photo / Supplied

Work has begun on removing colonies of an invasive marine tubeworm in the Ahuriri Estuary in a joint effort between Mana Ahuriri Trust and Hawke's Bay Regional Council.

An estimated 8.1 tonnes was collected yesterday and about 24 tonnes is expected to be removed by the end of the week.

Hawke's Bay Regional Council senior scientist for coastal quality, Anna Madarasz-Smith said the tubeworm, also known as Ficopomatus enigmaticus had been in the estuary since the early 1990s, but expanded its foothold in recent years.

"Reefs of the tubeworm now restrict water movement between the lower and upper estuary. The worm forms tubes which grow into coral-like structures."

Read more: Invasive marine tubeworm in Ahuriri Estuary to be removed

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

There are several areas, which they are planning to tackle.

"We managed to cut 18 metres and probably have about 60 metres left in that one spot," Ms Madarasz-Smith said.

She said they were not aiming to completely eradicate the pest, as that would be "unrealistic".

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"It is a long-term project and we don't expect to get it all out by the end of the week. It is a maintenance programme."

She said it was important that the removal programme was completed before the dry summer period, so the estuary could benefit from better flushing, and a more natural tidal flow of moving water.

A combination of diggers and manual labor is being used to remove the worm from areas between the Taipo Stream confluence and the Upper Ahuriri Estuary.

A team of four people were used, including a digger, and dump truck, while Ms Madarasz-Smith and water quality and ecology resource technician, Shane Gilmer worked from the water.

They were hoping to have more "people power" in the water in the days to come.

The estuary is home to several species of bird and fish and there are many other initiatives going on which involve the Napier City Council, Department of Conservation and the Hastings District Council.

"It is part of an wider, ongoing project to restore the health and wellbeing of the estuary. A lot of progress has been made and several groups are involved."

Ahuriri Estuary is one of the Council's 6 hot spot environmental clean-up projects funded by ratepayers in this year's HBRC work programme.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from The Country

The Country

DairyNZ's 'sprains and strains' project up for award

09 May 05:00 PM
The Country

'I loved it': Veteran truckie reflects on 30 years on the road

09 May 05:00 PM
The Country

Butter prices: Here’s how much they might still rise

09 May 05:03 AM

One tiny baby’s fight to survive

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from The Country

DairyNZ's 'sprains and strains' project up for award

DairyNZ's 'sprains and strains' project up for award

09 May 05:00 PM

Project worked with farmers and workplace experts to find and reduce common injury causes.

'I loved it': Veteran truckie reflects on 30 years on the road

'I loved it': Veteran truckie reflects on 30 years on the road

09 May 05:00 PM
Butter prices: Here’s how much they  might still rise

Butter prices: Here’s how much they might still rise

09 May 05:03 AM
'Prime focus': Avocado industry targets global markets

'Prime focus': Avocado industry targets global markets

09 May 03:08 AM
Connected workers are safer workers 
sponsored

Connected workers are safer workers 

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP