Steve Little
Plans to deepen Port Otago's shipping channel, dumping
the dredged material offshore, risks creating a "dead zone"
which would threaten the income of local fishers, the Port
Chalmers fishing co-operative says.
Port Otago wants approval to deepen its shipping channel by
2m to 15m to allow for bigger ships.
The dredging will proceed if shipping lines confirm they will
regularly bring larger vessels, so the port is seeking
consent in case it needs it.
The port is consulting affected parties before it lodges a
resource consent application.
Port Otago proposes dredging 7.2 million cubic metres of sand
and silt and dumping it 6.5km off Taiaroa Head.
Port Chalmers Fishermen's Co-operative Society president
Steve Little said the dump area where the dredged sand
settled would become a "dead zone" for flat fish such as
tarakihi, elephant fish and New Zealand sole.
Fishers would have to look further afield, or tie boats up at
some times of the year.
People had little comprehension of how much material would be
dredged, he said.
Mr Little feared the effects of the silt - which would
constitute about a third of the material - were not properly
understood.
A floating "plume" of silt could smother marine life, such as
lobster larvae.
While the port's modelling indicated it would not drift
north, damaging fishlife, Mr Little feared it would.
The co-operative, which has 40 active members, could consider
seeking compensation, but it had to be discussed with
members, he said.
Mr Little said he understood the port needed to develop, and
secure its economic future.
However, the effects on "small players" had to be considered.
"I think the long-term effects, we are going to find, from
this dumping have not been well researched."
He said the co-op's concerns were not just economic but
environmental.
Southern Clams managing director Roger Belton said the
project could harm bird and fish life, particularly on the
sea floor.
"The ecological and environmental costs to the valuable and
unique environmental resources that the city enjoys - and
which it proudly markets - need to be weighed up against the
projected benefits of a deeper port," he said.
Port Otago chief executive Geoff Plunket labelled Mr Belton's
concerns "ridiculous and fanciful" and wondered whether he
had read the report on the proposal.
The dredging would be the best researched and most
environmentally sensitive carried out in Port Otago's
history, during which time about 34 million cubic metres of
material had been dredged since the 1870s.
Mr Plunket said Mr Little's concerns were valid, but the
sand-covered area would be relatively small, while the hurdle
for seeking compensation was high: fishers would need to
demonstrate significant potential losses.
He accepted there would be effects: it would not be possible
to dredge such a large volume without effects.
Mr Plunket said he was confident Niwa's modelling work had
revealed the best place for the dump, with the fewest adverse
effects.
Port Otago had planned to lodge the consent application in
April, but had extended this to May or June to give more time
to consult affected parties beforehand, Mr Plunket said.
- eileen.goodwin@odt.co.nz
A name, residential address, and (preferably residential) telephone number is required from readers who comment on ODT Online. These details will not be visible to site visitors.