Hi all,
An end of year update on the update. Our institute has supervised a further cull recently. Divers got only another 15 in late November, but some I think are from a 2nd generation. The few full-grown worms taken were non-reproductive (whereas worms back in August were mostly near gravid). Now the NZ government has announced funding for a 5 year control and monitoring programme.
http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/government+takes+action+biosecurity+threat/
or http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/media/16-12-08/govt-act-on-biosec-threat
Geoff
>>> On 4/09/2008 at 11:02 a.m., "Geoff Read" <g.read from niwa.co.nz> wrote:
> Hi all,
>> An update for those interested in the Sabella spallanzanii incursion in the
> port area of Lyttelton Harbour.
> Last week we did our best to harvest all detectable worms there - I should be
> able to tell you more later on about the actual results & the future outlook.
>> Meantime here's the official news releases:
>> Systematic hand picking removal off wharf piles and local moored vessels by
> divers, and further assessment of the population structure, began last week,
> following very low numbers recovered in scoping earlier searches.
>>http://www.niwascience.co.nz/ncabb/abb/2008-28/fanworm>> The photo in the print version of the newsletter looks much better than in
> the online pdf - not bad considering the animals were very dead at the time!
> Can you tell? We have excellent photos from life now.
>>http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/media/22-8-08/marine-pest>> Such a pity that this lovely sabellid has arrived unwanted in the wrong
> place and must be culled.
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