Waimakariri district councillor and Northern Pegasus Bay Advisory Group chairman Al Blackie and Ashley-Rakahuri Rivercare Group operations manager, Grant Davey, both say they would like to see instant fines handed out to individuals who break the law along the river at the estuary by contravening the Northern Pegasus Bay bylaw, the Wildlife Act and whitebaiting permits.
They say that despite multiple signs clearly stating the rules around using the area and public awareness campaigns, serious breaches are continuing and this is putting the rare and endangered birds living at the estuary at risk, particularly during the breeding season.
‘‘The estuary is in crisis," Grant says. This was highlighted during the four hours he spent at the estuary on October 12 when whitebaiting season, school holidays, fine, warm weather and the bird nesting and breeding season all came together for a perfect storm.
‘‘I saw almost the full spectrum of disturbance to the birds and the complete flouting of the Northern Pegasus Bay bylaw rules," Grant says.‘‘This happened shamelessly in front of me, I was in the open photographing and videoing. This didn’t deter anyone."
Environment Canterbury rangers were called, arrived quickly and asked several visitors who were violating the bylaw to move from nesting areas on the estuary spit and above the high-tide line on the beach.
‘‘Some beach and estuary visitors were close to nests but were not breaching the rules in the Northern Pegasus Bay bylaw," ECan’s acting team leader, parks and forests Karen Elliott says.
‘‘However, others including two people driving four-wheel-drive vehicles, one person riding a quad bike, and one person walking a dog were breaching the rules in the bylaw."
The Waimakariri District Council ssues permits and gate keys for whitebaiters who want vehicle access to the Ashley-Rakahuri River mouth during whitebaiting season which ended yesterday (on October 30).
ECan rangers don’t issue or check these permits, but have passed the vehicle licence numbers of drivers who were breaching the rules to the WDC.
The council’s senior biodiversity ranger Mike Kwant says permits are issued to whitebaiters for access to the two WDC whitebait gates, one being at the Ashley-Rakahuri Estuary carpark and the other at the Courtenay flood gates in Kaiapoi.
Although the whitebait season has now ended, Mike says that for future reference permit-holders need to be aware that their permit and key can be revoked if the conditions of the permit are breached and that includes the driving of a vehicle into a prohibited area.
‘‘Numerous signs have been installed to ensure the protection of the highly valued birdlife now enjoying the ideal habitat the area provides them. Vehicles need to keep out of this sensitive area and stay below the high tide mark on the seaward side of the estuary spit," Kwant says.
By Shelley Topp
