A free online training package from Cawthron Institute will provide visual guides and videos for underwater biosecurity inspectors.
A new training resource is being developed to change how marine practitioners conduct domestic hull fouling assessments around New Zealand.
The Cawthron Institute is creating the national training package under a commission from Biosecurity New Zealand. The project focuses on the Level of Fouling Scale, a six-category system running from 0 to 5 that ranks the quantity and maturity of marine growth below the waterline. The complete resource will be hosted on the Marine Biosecurity Toolbox and made freely available to all maritime stakeholders.
The development addresses a need for greater regional cooperation. Because different regional councils hire separate dive teams to monitor local marinas, assessments have historically faced regional variations. A standardised approach ensures a vessel receives the same rating regardless of which regional dive team conducts the inspection.
The training material will feature digital visual guides, practical examples and instructional videos. It also incorporates built-in digital assessments to verify practitioner skills. To raise early awareness, Cawthron and Biosecurity New Zealand produced an educational video that debuted at the New Zealand Marine Science Society Conference in Invercargill.
Data from 1 April to 30 June 2026 shows that 97.3 per cent of international arrivals met border biosecurity standards, leaving 16 vessels non-compliant. While domestic rules operate under different frameworks, the clean hull message is identical for local boat owners planning to cross regional boundaries.
Find out more from Biosecurity New Zealand's Issue 18, August 2026, Vessel Biosecurity Quarterly.
