Report: TR05/28

Authors: Stephanie Turner, Malene Felsing

Abstract

This report provides a summary of the process followed by Environment Waikato to identify trigger points for the Firth of Thames and Wilson's Bay Marine Farming Zone in the eastern Firth of Thames. The report recommends the trigger points and the associated management responses that will be adopted by Environment Waikato to assist with the management of shellfish farming in the Wilson's Bay Marine Farming Zone.

The objectives of developing a trigger point framework was to identify the levels of key environmental variables, which may indicate that significant adverse effects are occurring as a result of marine farming, to aid the management of the Wilson's Bay Marine Farming Zone.

Environment Waikato believes that it is important that trigger points should be developed and implemented through a proactive and collaborative process involving resource managers, marine farmers and scientists. Environment Waikato also considers it essential that the trigger points and the associated management responses identified in this report should be further improved and refined over time as more information becomes available, and therefore intend implementing a 3-yearly review of the trigger points and the management framework, to ensure the process remains relevant and collaborative.

It is important to note that the trigger points described in this report are specific to the Wilson's Bay Marine Farming Zone, and that they cannot therefore be applied directly to other marine farming areas, or necessarily to results arising from utilising different sampling methodologies.

Trigger Points for Wilson's Bay Marine Farming Zone [PDF, 271 KB]