Hauraki Gulf Forum

Community shellfish monitoring

Shellfish monitoring provides an ecological health indicator for the beaches of the Hauraki Gulf. It also aims to increase environmental awareness and help the Ministry of Fisheries (MFish) assess the effectiveness of the shellfish harvesting limits.

Annual surveys are carried out to count and measure the dominant kinds of shellfish, such as cockles and pipis, living in sheltered beaches, harbours and estuaries.

The ARC, Environment Waikato , Manukau City Council, World WildLife Fund, and the Department of Conservation (DoC) support community groups and schools carry out annual shellfish monitoring.
This work is co-ordinated through a steering group that reports to the Hauraki Gulf Forum which also includes representatives of the Ministry of Fisheries and tangata whenua.


Groups supported by the programme are provided with practical assistance and equipment to undertake annual shellfish surveys. Survey findings are entered into a database, reported to the community, and sent to the Ministry of Fisheries to inform the Hauraki Gulf Forum, and every three years contribute to the State of the Environment Report.

 

Community Shellfish Monitoring - Current Survey Sites, 2009

Location	Community organisation	Supporting organisation	Year started surveying
Whangateau Harbour, - Lews Bay, Rodney	Whangateau Harbour Care Group	ARC	2003
Cockle Bay, Manukau City	Chinese Conservation Education Trust	DoC and Manukau City Council	2005
Whangateau Harbour, - Causeway, Rodney	Whangateau Harbour Care Group	ARC	2006
Umupuia Beach, Manukau City	Maraetai Beach School, Umupuia Marae Previously also supported by: Te Puru Sea Scouts, Pohutukawa Coast Community Association	ARC and Manukau City Council	2006 (survey on hold while rahui in place)
Kawakawa Bay - West, Manukau City	Clevedon School	ARC and Manukau City Council	2006
Kawakawa Bay - East, Manukau City	Edmund Hillary School, Papakura Marae Previously also supported by: Weka Watch and corporate volunteers	ARC and Manukau City Council	2006
Okahu Bay, Auckland	Ngati Whatua	ARC	2007
Whangapoua Harbour, Great Barrier	Okiwa School, Kaitoki School, Mulberry Grove School	DoC	2007
Te Matuku Bay Marine Reserve, Waiheke Island	Waiheke High School, Waiheke Primary School Previously also supported by Te Huruhi School	World WildLife Fund	2007
Duder Regional Park	Ecoquest, Conservation Volunteers NZ, Park volunteers	ARC	2008
Beachlands, Manukau City	Beachlands School	ARC and Manukau City Council	2008
Whitianga Harbour, Coromandel	Mercury Bay School	Environment Waikato	2008
Ngaio Bay, Mahurangi Harbour, Rodney District	Mahurangi College	ARC through the Mahurangi Action Plan	2008

Want to know more?

• Learn more about why we monitor shellfish, why shellfish are important and the threats to shellfish
  Introduction to Shellfish Monitoring- Part 1 (182.0 KB PDF)
• Learn more about how to conduct a shellfish survey
  Introduction to Shellfish Monitoring- Part 2 (126.7 KB PDF)
• Learn more about how to identify shellfish and other species you might find in a shellfish survey
  Shellfish Identification Guide (1,020.8 KB PDF)
• Learn more about our coast.

Want to get involved?

 

To express interest in co-ordinating a community shellfish survey contact your Regional Council by emailing the ARC at environment@arc.govt.nz or contacting Environment Waikato

 

 

 

Schools

The survey programme is linked with the learning outcomes and unit standards of the NZ curriculum. Teacher resource kits have been developed for two levels - upper primary/intermediate (Levels 3-4), and Year 12 Biology (Level 7).

A Ministry of Fisheries permit is required to carry out a shellfish survey if more than the daily bag limit of cockles or pipi (50 per person) are sampled.  ARC and EW have permits that cover community based monitoring carried out under their direction.  Coordinator Guidelines have been produced so that staff from different Forum agencies will use a consistent methodology and approach.   The provision of coordinator support for community surveys is subject to Forum member agency’s priorities and resourcing levels.

Hauraki Gulf Shellfish depletion report

In 2003 the Hauraki Gulf Forum commissioned a report entitled:

"A Review of Issues Related to Depletion of Populations of Selected Infaunal Bivalve Species in the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park."

Why was this report commissioned?

The report was commissioned because of concerns about the perceived depletion of shellfish populations in the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park (HGMP). The consultants were asked to:

• provide a reference bibliography relevant to factors potentially affecting bivalve populations in the HGMP
• provide a synthesis of current and expected near-future knowledge of factors potentially affecting bivalve populations in the HGMP
• identify gaps in our understanding of factors potentially affecting bivalve populations in the HGMP
• identify key research priorities where efforts are likely to be most cost-effective at identifying what is affecting bivalve populations in the HGMP.

Species of focus

The shellfish species of specific interest in this review include the cockle (Austrovenus stutchburyi), pipi (Paphies australis), tuatua (Paphies subtriangulata), and wedge shell (Macomona liliana).

The report: