New Zealand aquaculture has a long way to go from today’s NZ$750 million in revenue to achieve its $3 billion annual target in the next decade, but with less than 0.01% of the island nation’s 430 million hectare (1,660,239.28 square miles) of EEZ zone utilized, collaborative industry-focused scientific research and a new pro-aquaculture government, the industry is seeing cause for optimism.
Addressing this year’s New Zealand Aquaculture annual conference, held in Nelson October 8-9, Oceans and Fisheries Minister, Hon. Shane Jones was recognized for spearheading a bill passed in August, which drastically cut red tape for marine farms by extending existing coastal permits by 20 years. He said he hoped the estimated NZ$6 million that would have been spent by 200 marine farms on reconsenting in 2024 alone, would be reinvested in growing business.
New Zealand King Salmon is only too familiar with the bureaucratic hurdles that have hamstrung aquaculture growth. Presenting the company’s ambitious Blue Endeavour open ocean aquaculture project, the first open ocean farm in New Zealand, he said it had taken five years for consent to be granted. Ultimately the 12 ha farm, nine years in the planning, is expected to produce 10,000 tonnes of harvested salmon annually, with export revenue of up to NZ$300 million per year.
It would however take outside investment to achieve the nation’s growth potential, Jones stressed, saying he was traveling to Singapore later in the month, where he said there was strong interest in working with New Zealand businesses.
New Zealand has an impressive track record of collaboration across science, industry and academia. In a joint presentation, chief executives from two leading research bodies, Volker Kuntzsch from Cawthron Institute and Plant & Food Research’s Mark Piper, said the industry can be much better served when research institutes work together instead of competing for funding. Piper said he envisioned growing the industry beyond the NZ3 billion goal to as much as NZ $10 billion over the next 10 years. As an example of what can be achieved, Piper said the dairy industry had expanded 10-fold to NZ$20 in 30 years.
*NZ$1 = US$0.60
