Geese faeces is damaging the shellfish, he said. “We believe there is a link, because we can see the decimation of the shellfish right in front of our eyes.” Once-plentiful mussel beds have disappeared – meanwhile geese populations have been increasing.
Christel Yardley/Stuff
Flocks of geese rest on the mudflats, mussel and oyster beds, fouling the Raglan harbour, Paikea said. It’s not the only reason the stocks have depleted, Paikea said, citing Raglan’s population boom, sewage issues, oil slips, but the geese were part of the problem. “It’s been swept under the carpet for so long, and agencies have ignored the problem, now it s blown beyond control.”