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Check, Clean, Dry, Certify

boat ramp certifyingBe a waterway hero – check, clean, dry, certify to stop the spread of freshwater pests in our lakes and rivers

If you’re heading out on the Rotorua Te Arawa Lakes this summer, you must certify that your vessel (boat, jet ski) and trailer are free from pest fish, invasive clams and weeds.

To make things faster and easier, boat ramp users can self-certify online either by using the QR code found at each boat ramp or by completing the online form below. The paper forms at the boat ramps will still be available, and skippers should complete the self-certification form, sign it and display it on the dashboard of the car towing the trailer.

The Bay of Plenty Regional Pest Management Plan 2020–2030 requires that all public boat ramp users certify that their boat is free from freshwater pest fish and weed where a self-certification checkpoint is present.

Everyone can play their part by following the rules.

  1. Don’t leave boat trailers in any water body unless you’re launching and/or retrieving boats.
  2. Don’t transport ballast water from any water body to any other location.
  3. Boat ramp users entering any Bay of Plenty water body must make sure their vessels or craft (including trailers) are free from freshwater pest fish and freshwater pest plants including fragments.
  4. Where there is a self-certification checkpoint, boat ramp users must complete a self-certification form before launching. The form must either be submitted electronically or displayed in the vehicle and left at the boat ramp where the boat was launched.

Biosecurity staff will be visiting public boat ramps throughout summer to help lake users understand the rules and check that they are complying with them. Lakeside self-certification checkpoints, with instructions, have been set up at boat ramps around the Rotorua Te Arawa lakes.

Check - for what is visible

Remove any visible matter, including any clams you can see, along with plant material or mud. Drain all river or lake water.

Clean - for what is not visible

Washdown your gear, vehicle, watercraft, and trailer that has been in contact with river or lake water with tap-water onto grass, beside the waterway or at home and not into a stormwater drain system. This will remove any remaining invisible material.

Treat residual water that always occurs when on-board ballast bladders or tanks have been pumped.

Cleaning options:

  • Blast your gear and craft with tap water, not into a stormwater system or drain (onto grass).
  • For absorbent materials, use one of these treatments*:
    • soak in hot tap water (50 to 55°C) for at least 5 minutes or
    • soak in 5% bleach solution (5-litre mix = 250ml bleach in 4.75 litres water) for an hour or
    • freeze till solid (overnight) or
    • soak in salt solution at 100ppt** (5-litre mix = 500g salt in 5 litres warm water) for 4 hours.
  • For a full list of Biosecurity New Zealand-approved treatments, including options for situations where none of the above is suitable, view the table on the MPI website.

*Refer to manufacturer’s instructions if needed
** Parts per thousand

Dry - to be sure

Allow gear to dry to touch, inside and out, then leave it to dry for at least 48 hours (2 days) before using again.

Dry areas inside the watercraft where water has pooled, for example with an old towel, and then leave the craft to dry for at least 48 hours (2 days). The hull of a watercraft will dry when towed.

Ways to self-certify: