Andy McKay
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korimakoecology.bsky.social
Andy McKay
@korimakoecology.bsky.social
980 followers 2.3K following 1.9K posts
Aotearoa based Restoration/Applied Ecologist.

Skateboarding, punk rock and plants.

iNaturalist enthusiast https://inaturalist.nz/observations?place_id=any&user_id=andymckay&verifiable=any
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korimakoecology.bsky.social
Lol, what?

Not food for the people then?

www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/3608...
"The majority of people attending this aren't the kind of people that usually go to a protest, they're Conservative right wingers," he said. "You're actively targeting the biggest hobby they have in their life, where most of the time, their most expensive asset next to their house is a boat."
November 22, 2025 at 8:25 AM
korimakoecology.bsky.social
People love the idea of importing overseas wild flower meadows into New Zealand (for the bees) but what they really want is a manicured flower garden. Most people see photos like this and tell us we need to mow it.

Mostly exotic species but high plant diversity and supports domestic honeybees.
Clover, plantain, buttercup, small-flowered catch fly and grasses. Plantain, pig root, small-flowered catch fly, clover, catsear and grasses. Pig root. Cats ear etc
November 22, 2025 at 5:19 AM
korimakoecology.bsky.social
Shaun Lee has some useful info here. Government position seems like creating a whole bunch of trouble for minimum benefit. blog.shaunlee.co.nz/ring-net-fis...
Commercial ring net fishers in the Hauraki Gulf catch an average of $26,588 worth of fish in the proposed protected areas, which is only 6.8% of their total Gulf catch (averaging $366,213 annually). In weight, this equates to 17,616 kg or 12.5% of their total catch. This demonstrates that the proposed protected areas account for a small percentage of their overall income, especially considering these fishers also operate on Auckland’s west coast. The average annual catch from the proposed protected areas is 17,616 kg worth $26,588, which is small compared to the natural variability in catch outside these areas. For example, the catch outside protected areas fluctuates by 35,103 kg and $141,801 across years, far exceeding the potential loss from protection.
November 22, 2025 at 5:03 AM
korimakoecology.bsky.social
Maximum 6 metre tinny fishing between Autumn and Winter only targeting kāhawai, grey mullet and trevally, selling to local markets vs a $100K plus Surtees stacked with $1000+ rods and reels targeting snapper and kingfish.

Fish for the people eh.
5 Restrictions and conditions apply to authorised personsThe restrictions and conditions set out in regulations 6 to 8 apply to personsauthorised to undertake ring net fishing in accordance with section 23 of theAct.6 Period when ring net fishing may be undertakenAn authorised person undertaking ring net fishing may do so only in the periodstarting on 1 March and ending on 31 August of each year.7 Species of fish that may be targetedAn authorised person undertaking ring net fishing may target only the follow‐ing species of fish:(a) (b) (c) kahawai:grey mullet:trevally.8 Other restrictions and conditions that applyAn authorised person undertaking ring net fishing—(a) (b) (c) (d) may use only 1 fishing vessel at any one time; andmust not use a fishing vessel that exceeds 6 metres in total length; andmust remain within the vicinity of the ring net while it is in operation;andmust ensure that the Director-General’s written authorisation givenunder section 23 of the Act is—(i) kept on board the fishing vessel; and22025/233Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana Marine Protection (RingNet Fishing) Regulations 2025 r 8(ii) maintained in a legible condition; and(iii) produced for inspection immediately on the request of a ranger.
November 22, 2025 at 4:59 AM
korimakoecology.bsky.social
So when is this magical time that Elon starts saving people and not killing them?
Clarifying Elon Musk's Role in the USAID Cuts and Resulting Deaths Yes, based on extensive reporting, expert analyses, and public discourse, Elon Musk bears partial but substantial responsibility for the ~600,000 excess deaths (including ~400,000 children) linked to the 2025 USAID cuts as of November 2025. This isn't about pinning everything on one person—it's a chain of policy decisions involving the Trump administration, Congress, and DOGE—but Musk's leadership of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) made him a driving force in accelerating and executing the dismantling. Critics like Bill Gates, Nicholas Kristof, and Sen. Bernie Sanders have explicitly called him out for this, while Musk has denied any deaths occurred.
November 22, 2025 at 3:45 AM
korimakoecology.bsky.social
NZ Sport Fishing Council numbers below. Rec fishing is awesome and I love doing it but I'm under no illusion that I am magically saving money.
Species Trip-related spending per kg of skin-off fillets Fishing equipment spending per kg of skin-off fillets Big equipment spending per kg of skin-off fillets Total spending per kg of skin-off fillets Hapuku/Bass $45 $64 $60 $169 Snapper $75 $77 $73 $226 Kingfish $42 $176 $154 $371 Kahawai $129 $165 $147 $441 Trevally $197 $322 $362 $881 Blue Cod $187 $351 $389 $927
November 22, 2025 at 12:09 AM
korimakoecology.bsky.social
If we are serious about prioritising feeding New Zealanders, but only 12% of the pop are recreational fishers, while 72% of consumers purchase commercially caught fish at least once a month, why would we lock species up for a minority who can afford to run a boat? www.mpi.govt.nz/dmsdocument/...
Protest vehicle driving with a poster saying "Prioritise feeding New Zealanders." Protest vehicle with a flag saying 600,000 Kiwis Fish Our Voice 2019 data from the MPI Economic Intelligence Unit showing that 72% is survey respondents purchase seafood at least once a month.
November 21, 2025 at 11:20 PM
korimakoecology.bsky.social
Man I love tūī at this time of year with their harakeke pollen masks.
Ā tūī covered in orange/yellow pollen.
November 21, 2025 at 1:35 AM
korimakoecology.bsky.social
Man this whole album goes so hard.
Prodigy - The Fat Of The Land An aggressive looking crab at the beach.
November 19, 2025 at 8:59 AM
korimakoecology.bsky.social
...the meeting ended he emailed the group. He had found piharau. We jumped into vehicles to go see them. So cool! 2/2 🌏
Male piharau/lamprey in a lack fish bin. Unsexed younger piharau/lamprey in a black fish bin trying to escape.
November 18, 2025 at 5:16 AM
korimakoecology.bsky.social
Quite good
Ōtaki river mouth at sunset. Kāpiti Island is in distance.
November 16, 2025 at 8:18 AM
korimakoecology.bsky.social
The māhoe in the centre of the photo was there before we started. It was slowly getting choked by bindweed and morning glory.
Damage to māhoe from bindweed.
November 16, 2025 at 2:02 AM
korimakoecology.bsky.social
January 2020 November 2025.

Looking North towards the Waikākāriki Stream bridge.
A stream covered by morning glory, nasturtium and blackberry. There is a gravel footpath on the RHS. The same point of view 5 years later. No morning glory and the native vegetation is dominating.
November 16, 2025 at 1:59 AM
korimakoecology.bsky.social
February 2022 vs November 2022.

Looking up the Waikākāriki Stream.
A stream with steep banks. Most of the vegetation has been sprayed and is brown and dead. The same stream covered in growth. Both natives and lots of weeds.
November 16, 2025 at 1:56 AM
korimakoecology.bsky.social
Spent the morning doing a bit of releasing, cutting out lots of karo and planting some nikau and swamp astelia. We just hit six years on this project.
A footbridge going over a stream surrounded by grean vegetation. A gravel footpath leading towards a bridge surrounded by green vegetation. A gravel footpath leading towards a large macrocarpa. There are signs on the RHS. Astelia grandis, swamp astelia freshly planted.
November 16, 2025 at 1:32 AM
korimakoecology.bsky.social
Compare and contrast.

1. Judge fines developer over $48k for illegal earthworks and warns against “hands-off” approach to RMA compliance

2. Govt intervenes in councils-builders stoush, to break ground on new homes
Judge fines developer over $48k for illegal earthworks and warns against “hands-off” approach to RMA compliance Govt intervenes in councils-builders stoush, to break ground on new homes
November 15, 2025 at 6:36 AM
korimakoecology.bsky.social
Bad news everyone, New Zealand has dropped 6-7.
Countries with the best reputations 2025.
November 14, 2025 at 8:04 AM
korimakoecology.bsky.social
Gold.

www.facebook.com/share/r/1DLd...
November 12, 2025 at 7:54 AM
korimakoecology.bsky.social
Terrible biosecurity news. 😔
Lake Rotomanu will be closed to motorised watercraft from tomorrow (12 Nov), following the discovery of the freshwater clam Corbicula fluminea. Here's what you need to know 👇 * As an interim measure, New Plymouth District Council will close Lake Rotomanu to motorised boats, which are at the highest risk of spreading clams. * Other recreational users will be required to thoroughly check, clean and dry all gear before leaving the lake shore. * The road access and carparks will remain open. * Surveys are being carried out this week, checking for clams in the nearby Waiwhakaiho River as well as other lakes across Taranaki. * Once those results are available, further decisions will be made as to how to manage the incursion and what, if any, restrictions will remain in place. We will keep you informed. This is the first discovery of the clam in New Zealand outside of the Waikato River and Lake Taupō Aqua Park. We’re disappointed that the clam has made its way to Taranaki, as we had been working hard to keep it out. But our focus now is on working with Biosecurity New Zealand and local partners to ensure it does not spread into other Taranaki lakes or rivers. We appreciate it is coming into summer and the lake is a favourite spot for many boaties. But you will understand how important it is we act quickly – Corbicula can take over a waterway and have long-term effects on recreation and the environment. We are asking for your support. Whether it’s Lake Rotomanu or any other waterway, it's more important than ever you check, clean and dry everything that has been in contact with the water before moving between waterways. Lake Rotomanu will be closed to motorised watercraft from tomorrow (12 Nov), following the discovery of the freshwater clam Corbicula fluminea. Here's what you need to know 👇 * As an interim measure, New Plymouth District Council will close Lake Rotomanu to motorised boats, which are at the highest risk of spreading clams. * Other recreational users will be required to thoroughly check, clean and dry all gear before leaving the lake shore. * The road access and carparks will remain open. * Surveys are being carried out this week, checking for clams in the nearby Waiwhakaiho River as well as other lakes across Taranaki. * Once those results are available, further decisions will be made as to how to manage the incursion and what, if any, restrictions will remain in place. We will keep you informed. This is the first discovery of the clam in New Zealand outside of the Waikato River and Lake Taupō Aqua Park. We’re disappointed that the clam has made its way to Taranaki, as we had been working hard to keep it out. But our focus now is on working with Biosecurity New Zealand and local partners to ensure it does not spread into other Taranaki lakes or rivers. We appreciate it is coming into summer and the lake is a favourite spot for many boaties. But you will understand how important it is we act quickly – Corbicula can take over a waterway and have long-term effects on recreation and the environment. We are asking for your support. Whether it’s Lake Rotomanu or any other waterway, it's more important than ever you check, clean and dry everything that has been in contact with the water before moving between waterways.
November 11, 2025 at 7:30 AM
korimakoecology.bsky.social
www.forestandbird.org.nz/resources/wa...
HOW MUCH HARM CAN THEY DO? Wapiti, deer, tahr, goats, and other browsing mammals have been wreaking havoc on indigenous ecosystems ever since they were introduced to Aotearoa. Wapiti, the largest of them all, are known as the “vacuum cleaners of vegetation”. They will feed on any plant they come across – grasses, small plants, fungi, and twigs, buds, leaves, and bark of trees and shrubs. They eat hundreds of species of plants – low, high, tender, tough – as far as they can reach. Fiordland National Park is nothing like the North America grasslands the wapiti came from. Fiordland’s steep forested slopes and fragile alpine areas lack the vast summer pastures that wapiti are dependent on in their homeland. Instead, they pivoted to eat what they could find – native plants of all shapes and sizes. This has allowed populations of wapiti and red deer to establish themselves throughout the national park, in a place they were not naturally present.
November 10, 2025 at 7:29 AM
korimakoecology.bsky.social
I appreciate Shopify's honesty that it's software is a POS.
Shopify Facebook advertisement "We can train people up really quickly to use the POS."
November 10, 2025 at 4:46 AM
korimakoecology.bsky.social
Nothing says man of the people like perfomatively wearing single-use brand-new gumboots for a photo shoot at your mansion.
Christopher Luxon wearing gumboots.
November 7, 2025 at 6:32 PM
korimakoecology.bsky.social
I guess the only option we have now is to eat the rich.
Kerikeri foodbank closure leaves Northland families struggling for kai. 6 November 2024. Tourism New Zealand invests 6.3m to bring Michelin Guide to local restaurants. 6 November, 2024.
November 6, 2025 at 9:54 AM
korimakoecology.bsky.social
Federated Farmers goes mask off.

"Federated Farmers is calling on the Government to urgently scrap controversial freshwater rules that put river spirits and ideology ahead of practical water use."
Federated Farmers is calling on the Government to urgently scrap controversial freshwater rules that put river spirits and ideology ahead of practical water use.
November 6, 2025 at 6:20 AM
korimakoecology.bsky.social
Marine protection (excluding the Cable Protection Zone) will increase from 0.3% to 5.9% with these new high protection areas and marine reserve extensions. This leaves 94.1% of the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park still available for recreational fishers.
The new marine protection areas in the Hauraki Gulf.
November 6, 2025 at 5:34 AM