Land Information New Zealand (Linz) announced earlier this week that the cause of the E. coli outbreak had been traced to ducks creating unacceptably high levels of bacteria. The outbreak was confirmed on January 23 and visitors were advised not to swim, fish or take water from the area in Lake Dunstan immediately surrounding the Bendigo site, and warning signs were put in place.
When asked if Fish and Game was considering any culling of birds, Mr Watson said there had been culls of unprotected bird species, such as feral geese, in the past, "but not for these sorts of reasons [E. coli], and of course game birds are harvested annually by recreational hunters from May onwards".
"E. coli is found in warm-blooded animals and so this sort of occurrence is not unheard of in relation to wildlife, and may reflect lowered inputs due to the drought conditions," he said.
Mr Watson said he had not yet seen Linz’s results, but "I suspect this [E. coli outbreak] is a short-term issue that will resolve itself.
"But we need to have a look at Linz’s findings before considering further. And of course Fish and Game is only responsible for game birds (mallards, paradise ducks, primarily)".
Mr Watson said there would always be "natural background levels" of E.coli where there was wildlife, and the Bendigo area was an important wildlife habitat that supported a broad range of protected birds and game birds, some of which were rare. As well as ducks (mallard, paradise, scaup) there were black-billed gulls, black-fronted terns, crested grebes, Australasian coots, shags, pied stilts, black swan and some unprotected bird species in the Bendigo area.
"The Bendigo area is recognised as a regionally important wetland in the water plan for Otago and in the district plan and wildlife are one of the reasons for that recognition," Mr Watson said.
Linz deputy chief executive of Crown property Jerome Sheppard said earlier this week warning signs about E. coli would remain in place at Bendigo until bacteria levels had reduced.
Portable toilets brought in when the toilet block was closed in case that had caused the E. coli outbreak would also remain at Bendigo in the meantime, to help cope with the high levels of visitors at the site.
