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From: Roger Grace
Date: 25-04-08
Time: 13:39
HAPUKU HOLOCAUST IN THE UPPER ZONE
I am finding that extremely experienced divers of my son's generation [40 yr circa] have either never seen a hapuku or like hyper -experienced Glenn Edney, just a single small one. My generation saw them as a school fish: herds of varying sizes. There has to be an acknowledged ecological consequence for the removal of a major predator, as per the recent study of the causal chain from whales to sea urchins in the Nth Pacific.
I wonder what the decimation of seal did on our coasts? And the colossal destruction of New Zealand's whales? Perhaps it explains why orca are stranding more here than anywhere in the world. Their major prey is now sting rays. which they pursue into the shallows. This may not be their traditional diet. But that is speculative. The consequences of over exploitation may manifest themselves when something appears out of proportion. An example is the population explosion of gannets and shags because their sprat food supply has become so abundant. And that is because we have hit the predatory fish so heavily. Consequently shags a killing more and more pohutukawa with their wastes, adding to the possum impact I also suspect that the mass destruction of hervibivorous parore by gill nets is related to the sea lettuce problem in estuaries such as Waihi . To parore sea lettuce is like candy floss. ]
Back to hapuku: I struggle to express the present situation so kindly bear with me...If a large sum of money were offered nobody could go out and film a school of hapuku in NZ waters any more. His chances of going to a reliable place where one hapuku could be seen for certain are not much better. An experienced cameraman with this in mind recently went to the Chathams. I do not put it in this way just because we divers are deprived. It is a good solid indicator something is drastically WRONG. It will not get better. It is more likely to worsen if nothing is done. It just happens that, in 2003, when several generations of undersea observers compare notes, a serious situation emerges. Divers are the most likely source of such a warning. The zone scuba divers visit, down to 60, metres, is the most diverse, complex and dynamic in the sea. The absence of a major predator in this zone could be expected to have complex consequences. New Zealand should be taking a precautionary approach when such evidence emerges in a complex community in which we struggle to understand the ecological linkages. The International Biodiversity treaty to which we are signatories, should provide the motivation.
Dr Roger Grace comments: šI have seen the hapuku decline and believe they are virtually extinct now in diving depths. Wade would have seen them in good quantities at the 3 Kings during the Elingamite coin recovery days (mid to late 60's). The only hapuku I have seen in moderate numbers were at the Pinnacles (PK) in 1969 when we found the "hapuku slot", and at the 3 Kings on my first few dives there in 1983. Most divers will never have a chance to see hapuku, yet they used to be common in shallow water.
The catch figures over the years appear to have remained surprisingly stable, although they recognise early foreign catch is not included, and either 2 or 3 species were mixed together in catch statistics. So the picture is "very hazy" for hapuku to say the least. What is the Ministry's responsibility or obligation in a case like this? Are they required to act in a precautionary way? Have they any obligation to "repair the damage" in shallow water? Or as long as they can continue to catch hapuku in deep water do they think everything is OK and its "business as usual"?
Seems there is difficulty in recognising different stocks around the country. I used to think a partial solution would be to identify a stock in the north, and protect that stock within its geographical limits. But how do we recognise a stock? Even if we could recognise a localised stock how do we pursuade the Ministry to protect it? Probably all we could do would be to seek protection for hapuku over a wide region, say North Cape to White Island, and watch what happens over 20 years or so. If we can get protection in a large marine reserve behind Great Barrier Island that might be enough to give an indication if it would work.
Is there is any chance of a zero quota for the whole country? Pissing in the wind?
Meanwhile the chances to get any new decent hapuku underwater photos are virtually nil. There are only a handful of half-reasonable pix around - I think Wade has the best. Without pix it is hard to launch a campaign.
Cheers,
Roger:-)
Last changed: 25-Apr-2008