Tāne Mahuta could soon be infected with fatal Kauri dieback disease
Tuesday, 3 July 2018
Tāne Mahuta, New Zealand's largest remaining Kauri tree, could be infected with the fatal dieback disease in less than a year and management of the crisis needs to be taken away from MPI, one scientist says.
The tree is a significant part of Northland's tourism offering and has stood in Waipoua forest for over two millennia. The name Tāne Mahuta (Lord of the Forest) goes back to the Māori legend of the creation of the earth and refers to the separation of the earth from the sky.
Amanda Black from the Bioprotection Research Centre at Lincoln University says the crisis has been nine years in the making and believes the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), which she claims has muzzled scientists researching the fungal disease, is partly to blame for its rapid spread.
Kauri dieback disease is 100 per cent fatal to the trees and has already been confirmed within a few metres of Tane Mahuta. It is spread through soil movement.
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Jack Craw, the former head of biosecurity at Auckland Council, said the spread of the disease was the worst biosecurity incident he had encountered in his 40 years in the industry.
'It's like HIV and Ebola (for trees) rolled into one.'
Black was asked to review science around the disease three years ago. She was then told by the ministry not to say anything to anyone outside MPI about her findings.
Researchers looking into the issue at Crown Research Institutes had also been 'muzzled', she said.
Black said there was so much secrecy around the science being produced that MPI could be doubling up on funding for research and the public wouldn't know.
MPI's handling of the situation was a 'dog's breakfast' and a Royal Commission was needed to investigate what went wrong, she said.
'I'm sure we could actually be innovative and save species if we weren't trying to patch protect.'
Craw said Waipoua forest, north of Dargaville, needed to be closed immediately and responsibility for handling the disease 'divorced' from MPI and handed to a charitable trust led by iwi.
'If you don't do that you're doomed.'
MPI's initial response to the disease started well but had become 'a disaster' in the last four years, he said, a sentiment shared by several scientists Stuff spoke to.
The response to the disease should be run by iwi who had a much better understanding of what was needed to prevent further spread of the disease, he said.
Craw said the conflict between MPI's biosecurity and primary industry responsibilities was untenable.
John Sanson, manager for recovery and pest management at MPI, said it is standard practice for MPI and researchers to come to an agreement with researchers on a process for releasing research.
'This process, agreed by both parties, is in place to uphold the quality and validity of the information before it is released more widely.
'Research findings and other reports are made available on the programme's website and referenced in other forums when appropriate.'
Sanson said improving the way the Kauri dieback programme coordinates and delivers work was a priority.
He also pointed to the 'Accelerating Protection for Kauri' project which he said would deliver a national pest management plan for Kauri, which he referred to as 'the strongest form of regulation'.
There were claims the relationship between the Department of Conservation and iwi with guardianship over Waipoua forest, Te Roroa, had broken down over the response to the spread of dieback in the forest.
However, the relationship might be on a more positive track since the election of the new government, Craw said.
This week, MPI is holding seven public meetings on the issue of Kauri dieback.
Sanson said the consultations would help inform the national pest management plan for Kauri.
Craw said the rapid spread of the disease meant the forest might have just a few months before it was beyond scientific help.
His most recent visit to the forest showed an additional 20-30 trees - the 'giants' of the species - had died.
Black said infected trees should be cut down to try to halt the spread of the disease.
'You don't need the drone surveys, you can see it with your eyes.
'You can see the dead and dying trees.'
Stuff has sought comment from Te Roroa.
Correction: A previous version of this story said Tane Mahuta could be dead with in a year, which was incorrect. If infected it would take the giant kauri a number of years to die.