Mangroves are very important components to the environment and their value to the ecosystem is recognized around the world.  That is, unless these mangroves grow in Whangamata harbor in New Zealand.  The trees in this area are currently the subject of hot debate – should they be removed?  And how many of them should be uprooted?   For Environment Waikato, this is a concern that is still being contested.

The legal process of mangrove removal
Turns out that the mangroves growing in Whangamata harbor are multiplying too fast and have to be trimmed to make way for projects that will use up more of the area.  Mangroves had become invasive, threatening the harbor and some trees were actually culled over a period of years.  A private investigator was called in but no charges have been filed to this day.  In February, the decision to remove a good number of mangroves was unveiled by the regional council who then asked local residents for their reactions.

One of the recommendations that emerged was that 16 hectares of mangroves should be removed.  This proposal was opposed by Councilor Simon Friar, who felt that more should be removed.  Although he proposed about 60 hectares, Friar later declared that the total amount should be 24 hectares, which will be discussed further during negotiations.  Friar has close ties to the anti-mangrove group of Whangamata.

Strategies for controlling Whangamata’s mangroves
Mangroves naturally grow in shallow beaches but the sediment that enters Whangamata apparently encourages their propagation.  This, according to Harry Wilson, an executive of Environment Waikato, may be dealt with using catchment works.  To solve the problem of too many trees, Environment Waikato is looking at some options that will control the mangroves, including seedling removal and implementing a catchment plan.

Investigating unapproved culling of mangroves
There are opposing views about what should be done to the mangroves.  However, there are also groups that step in and make the decisionmaking much more of a challenge than it should be.  Illegally removing or killing the mangroves exacerbates the arguments already in place, particularly those being upheld by those taking the anti-mangrove side.  If Environment Waikato wants to ensure that the mangrove talks remain on fair ground, they should ensure that the matter is privately investigated.

Man vs. mangrove?
Should nature once again make way for human progress?  Environment Waikato hopes it can come up with a workable and mutually beneficial compromise, while New Zealand is still in the process of reviewing its Coastal Policy Statement.  In the end, it is truly about ensuring the balance between the use of the area near the harbor and ecological concerns that must be established. 

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