At the height of the summer season in Aotearoa, a health warning has been issued for Okawa Bay at Lake Rotoiti following the detection of a potentially toxic blue-green algal bloom. Biosecurity and health professionals advise the public to avoid any water activities that may lead to contact with the lake.
William Anaru, Biosecurity Manager for Te Arawa Lakes Trust, says it’s not surprising that the algal blooms occur in the lake because of warmer conditions.
“Unfortunately, in recent years algal blooms have been on a repetitive cycle in many of our lakes,” says Anaru.
“The blooms, although frequent and sometimes long-lasting, do disappear with mixing and cooler temperatures so are not normally seen in the cooler months.”
Blue-green algae blooms can produce toxins that pose serious health risks. Exposure to contaminated water can lead to symptoms such as numbness, breathing difficulties, asthma attacks, skin rashes, stomach issues, and vision problems.
These risks make it essential for individuals to stay out of the water during the bloom. The local council will be placing signage at Okawa Bay to alert visitors and residents about the harmful algae and to reinforce the importance of avoiding water contact, especially for dogs, who are particularly sensitive to algal blooms and exposure can sometimes be fatal for them.
Although the safety of the public is essential, Anaru is also thinking about the freshwater taonga species that are at risk from this recent water hazard.
“The algal blooms can affect some of our species by way of de-oxygenating the water. Moving forward, our lakes need a lot of aroha to get them into a better state. Lowering nutrient input around the catchment will help but this will take time to get fully rectified.”
The Bay of Plenty Regional Council (BOPRC) monitors the blooms over the summer and provides weekly results to the various agencies. The results are then sent out through Toi Te Ora Public Health and are made available to the public. Anaru said it’s important that we all need to work together to stop the spread of these pests.
“We all need to work together across iwi, agencies and public to create a better outcome for our lakes so they too can thrive like they once did many years ago.”
Anaru said it’s important that we all need to work together to stop the spread of these pests.
“We all need to work together across iwi, agencies and public to create a better outcome for our lakes so they too can thrive like they once did many years ago.”
