Maadi participants protect the Waikato from biosecurity pest

Maadi Cup participants have gone the extra mile to protect the Waikato River from the biosecurity hazard didymo.

Ask any South Island rower about the pest and they will likely tell you about the Check, Clean, and Dry campaign.

Didymo (known as rock snot) is a freshwater algae that kills aquatic plants and smothers rocks in many of the South Island’s lakes and rivers. To stop the pest  from spreading to the North Island, rowers follow strict cleaning procedures.

Coach Sheryl Harris, from Rosehill College, described the procedure as a mission. “The kids are really good about it, they have to clean and dry the boats and equipment with a solution every time they get out of the water down south,” she said. “They don’t complain about it because they know it is one of those things that has to be done to protect our waters.” 

It is an even bigger issue for South Island schools because they have to follow the cleaning procedures, every time they go into the water.

Christchurch Girls High coach, Michael Petherick said he did not mind doing the extra work. “It is the right thing to do, and they could probably be a bit stricter with it,” he said.

Didymo first appeared in the South Island in 2004, no one knows how it got here, or if it can be eradicated.

Regatta controller Tony Nelson was pleased with the efforts that rowers have made to keep didymo out of the Waikato.

“It has been around for  at least seven years now, and we do not have it here, so I’m very happy with what they are doing, ” said Mr Nelson.

Didymo is an unwanted microscopic organism that develops into a beige coloured, substance that clings to rocks, and riverbeds. “It looks like snot,” Sheryl said.

It is classified as a bio security hazard that  can be spread from a single drop of water.

Rowers and other waterway users are obligated to prevent spreading the pest, and can face penalties of up to five years imprisonment and/or a $5,000 fine if caught spreading it.