A $2 million funding boost is set to turn the tide in Fiordland’s battle against the invasive seaweed Undaria pinnatifida (Undaria).

Acting Conservation Minister Ayesha Verrall yesterday announced the funding through the Jobs for Nature programme, which will see around 36 people employed in the wider Te Anau community over the next two years.

Environment Southland, the Department of Conservation, the Ministry for Primary Industries and the Fiordland Marine Guardians have been trying to contain Undaria in Te Puaitaha Breaksea Sound since it was first discovered in 2010.

But it has become apparent that a refreshed approach requiring a significant financial investment was required for the response to be successful.

Environment Southland chief executive Rob Phillips said the announcement is great news for the region, heralding positive outcomes for the pristine waters and unique biodiversity of the Fiordland Marine Area, and Te Anau’s community.

"Businesses in Fiordland are hit particularly hard by the absence of international tourism due to Covid-19.

"This funding means we’ll be able to re-deploy tourism and dive operators in the area to supercharge the existing Undaria control programme.”

Members of the community will be able to apply for the roles and obtain scientific diver certificates, to enable them to dive for Undaria plants in a search-and-destroy mission.

Fiordland Marine Guardians chair Dr Rebecca McLeod said that although Undaria is now commonplace around much of New Zealand's coastline, the Guardians are not prepared to accept it as a feature of the underwater world in Fiordland.

"Fiordland is renowned for its stunning, colourful and fragile marine life. Without intensive effort such as that afforded by this funding, we fear that Undaria will smother iconic species like the black coral, thus changing the ecosystem forever.

"This fund will result in local people becoming skilled underwater biosecurity technicians, and in collaboration with local vessel operators and tourism companies, the community can come together to protect Fiordland from what was an inevitable ecological disaster."

The project aims to contain Undaria within Breaksea Sound, and completely eliminate it from Chalky Inlet.

Jobs for Nature has provided funding for the project for two years. Each year, the bulk of the removal work will occur between August and December when the growth of Undaria is at its peak, and before the plants have matured.

Environment Southland will employ a coordinator for the two-year term of the project, as well as up to 36 FTE positions for divers.

Source: Environment Southland

While eradication will be the aim in Chalky Inlet, the project won't be able to completely eradicate Undaria in Breaksea Sound. Still, any removal of Undaria plants helps to stop its spread and minimise its ecological impacts on the wider Fiordland Marine Area.

Undaria is an invasive Asian seaweed that was first discovered in New Zealand waters in 1987. It grows on any hard surface including shells, reefs, ropes, wharf piles, vessel hulls, moorings and other artificial structures.

It can form dense ‘forests’ in sheltered reef areas, and spreads very quickly. Undaria can change the structure of ecosystems, especially in areas where native seaweeds are absent and potentially impact on biodiversity.

Undaria has, however, been found in very limited areas in Fiordland – Chalky Inlet and Breaksea Sound – and there are rules in place to prevent further spread.

Research has not yet found an easy, cost-effective way to control Undaria on a large scale. Currently, the most effective way is removal of individual plants by hand, using skilled divers.