Once again Tauranga HarbourWatch Inc. disputes the claims and information of the Bay of Plenty Regional Council (‘New Research on Local Sea Lettuce', The Weekend Sun, Friday, January 15).

We believe the major cause of this ongoing pollution is the ongoing discharge of suspended solids, dissolved reactive phosphorous, ammoniacal nitrogen, fluoride, wastewater and an anti-fouling agent and octadecylamine into the harbour due to a self-monitoring resource consent renewal a few years ago by the then Eastern Bay of Plenty, despite our vigorous protests at the hearing.

Now we believe they are trying to cover their past bad decision with this hoary El Nino deep ocean swelling nutrients explanation. Why do other harbours not have this problem? Why is this bizarre theory propounded no where else in NZ, or the world, or on the internet?

The Mount, Papamoa and Omanu beaches get it because it floats out of the harbour and then is immediately washed up.

No other NZ east coast beach gets it.

Sea lettuce is not 'a naturally occurring algae that is native to NZ”. It's 'a universal pollution indicator”.

H Rhodes, Tauranga HarbourWatch Inc