We found many fish with a gut full of kelp fly maggots. 100
Kelp fly maggots provide the protein for the yellow eyed mullet to ensure successful spawning. 101
Finding where the kelp flies lay their eggs took some research as no one knew until by luck we found them deep down under layers of beach cast seaweed. Note even kelp flies are not found in mud. 102
Sample of a number of kelp fly maggots carrying out a process that has never had any scientific study. The maggots are some how turning the cellulose in the beach cast seaweed into protein. The protein now within the maggots is then eaten by yellow eyed mullet who in turn are eaten by fish and dolphins that provides them with their protein requirements prior to spawning. Mud from the iron sands dredge waste will destroy the seaweed forests and stop beach cast seaweed from coming ashore. 103
Mud smothers seaweed and prevents fish from obtaining their traditional food sources. A past masters paper described how they lay their eggs by scrapping a hollow in sand in bays that trapped warm water. They will not lay eggs in mud as the mud will bury the eggs fish are not that dumb. 104
In 1990 Wanganui experienced massive flooding. The commercial catch of blue cod from cod pots in MPI Area 8 Stat area 41 which is off both Patea and Wanganui dropped from an annual catch of 38 tonnes to 15 tonnes even though the fishing fleet had increased from 4 to 13 boats. Our clubs catch history showed a marked increase in blue cod caught from both the shore and boat fishers. We have found no fish can be caught off the shore when the waters run muddy. A sample of blue cod we caught 5.4.14 to show their gut content . 105
A closer look at a blue cod showing this fish had eaten a sea perch and no mud . 106
This cod had eaten krill and other marine life swimming by. But once again no mud can be seen. 107
This ones gut had a clear liquid and the remains of a fish. But no mud even when they have been feeding on small scallops that can be found in sand. 108
Female tarakihi with ripe roe. These fish are usually found with seaweed in their gut but never mud . 109
• The Joint Statement March 2014 section 15 fails to name a marine specie that can live in mud day after day for twenty years. In our experience fish can not be caught from the shore when the waters become dirty with mud. • In the experts Joint Statement they said there is “uncertainty as to how these (unnamed specie) will react in sediment concentrations”. • The importance and the message our presentation brings has been given recognition by the experts as they have quoted they are “not aware of any reports that address these effects” . Yet the paper Dr J Grieve quotes in section 19 describes “that higher sediment concentrations result in lower intake of food particles and fewer eggs are laid” . While that directly applies to zooplankton NIWA have already produced a paper describing how fish eggs become buried in mud. • Further in section 19 the experts have concluded that “there was likely to be no effect on zooplankton other than what is already existing in the natural environment”. In section 20 “All the experts agree that direct effects of the increase of sediment concentrations on zooplankton are highly unlikely” which can only be described as unbelievable rubbish. 110
• The experts have just proven money talks and very naive of those who selected them to expect people who are either employees of TTR or EPA to tell the truth and still think they would keep their jobs is asking too much. • A detailed report from the North American Journal of Fisheries Management titled “Effects of Suspended Sediments on Aquatic Ecosystems ” has exposed the Joint experts corrupted statements. For example referring to zooplankton they described mud would cause a “reduced capacity to assimilate food”. • • For fish they describe “sediment acts directly on free living fish either by killing them or by reducing their growth rate or resistance to disease” and that “sediment interferes with development of eggs and larvae” and that sediment “will modify natural movements and migration of fish”. • These experts appointed by EPA and TTR have exposed their lack of marine scientific knowledge and we seriously ask that the whole Joint Statement be considered misinformation. They have failed to predict that fish will be prevented from accessing their traditional spawning grounds causing fish to lose their genetic memory. MPI will be first to prove we are correct as when the mature fish are caught or die off they would have been prevented to guide 111 the newly recruited fish back to food sources and spawning grounds.
• When the past Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment John Morgan Williams in his publication Missing Links described there was a problem through the resource consent process he only touched on a far bigger problem that we have personally experienced at all the ten resource consent applications we have been at or taken an interest in when he said: • “What this report does not cover: As we examined the relationship between science and environmental policy it became clear that it involved a broader range of issues than we could adequately address in a single report, for example: • There are questions about whether science used in some adversarial approaches to environmental policy and decision making contribute to sustainability. For example there is the potential for scientific evidence to be selectively used in resource consent hearings for the purpose of gaining or maintaining a particular interest or position, which could be to the detriment of the broader principles of sustainability. • There are issues around the roles and influence of science and expert scientific witnesses in legal proceedings on environmental issues (S1.3.1, p16).” 112
Protecting fragile marine intertidal ecosystems is non existent in the Wellington region . 113
Hutt River mouth has become a dredge waste dump site 114
• Since the Wellington Regional Council was formed we experienced first hand the lack of marine knowledge in the council. We have seen research projects by pass taking notice of impacts. They have never evaluated the impact of dredge waste or chemicals on marine species and senior management have ignored our input and continued to destroy fragile marine ecosystems. • The dredge waste being dumped into Wellington Harbour forms huge under water balls of mud that can be seen rolling along Petone Beach just off shore making clouds of mud. Commercial fishers can not use flounder set nets there. In 1999 we tried to stop the WRC from dumping 1000 tonnes a year of dredge waste 800 metres off the Hutt River into marine chart identified submarine fresh water springs. The WRC called them natural holes and depressions in the harbour through the media. • The marine life in the springs you will see as I took a couple of photos and the fish life is impressive. When the WRC failed to read books in their own library or consult with marine recreational fishers the council produced a Wellington Regional Coastal Plan they did not include the springs. As a result the HCC has placed the integrity of the Hutt Ground Water artesian water supply at risk 115 by removing Point Howard Wharf piles known to enter the artesian gravels.
The mud is pushed into Wellington Harbour 116
The beginning of a major environmental disaster at Point Howard Wharf as Wellington is about to loose considerable back pressure in the Waiwhetu Aquifer. All because WRC would not include them in their coastal plan and NIWA failed to record them at this location on their bathometric chart. Now piles identified by science years ago as penetrating the aquifer are being removed by the HCC. 117
Current management of Wellington Harbour allows the destruction of marine ecosystems . 118
As the tide comes in the mud breaks away and washes into the sea. It is all very well for NIWA to compare the impact of mud at Wanganui with Wellington Harbour telling us the harbour is filling up at the rate of 2 centimetres a year. But NIWA said nothing to stop the Wellington Harbour submarine freshwater springs being filled and only the WRMFA opposed it at the resource consent hearing. 119
While algae provides a major food source for fish they will not enter water this heavy in mud. 120
By Comparison here is the clean clear waters of Ohau Bay on the south western coast taken the same day 121
Comparing the Hutt River mouth with the rock pools at Makara. Full of life . 122
Another look at the rook pools at Makara. 123
After the sand is extracted the mud is held in a pit prior to being dumped into the Wellington harbour. 124
125
Disposing of dredge waste the Wellington Regional Council way. This is on land and only a small amount. But take 50 million tonnes a year that is the entre coal production for more than 110 years from the Stockton Plateau mine. Or three months of the total coal exports from Queensland that produces 196 million tonnes a year at a time when commodity prices are plunging. 126
A resource consent was granted knowing the mud gets washed into the sea in a southerly . 127
Dredge waste waiting to be washed into Wellington Harbour. 128
A resource consent was granted knowing the mud gets washed into the sea in a southerly . 129
Recommend
More recommend
