ISSUE 38 ■ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 $5.00 Could be the next big thing? SEA SLUGS COPE WITH DEADLY TETRODOTOXIN WILL GENETICALLY SELECTED SEED STOCKS ADAPT TO CHANGE

THE INDEPENDENT VOICE OF AQUACULTURE CONTENTS

812 14

3 EDITORIAL

4 NEWS A look at what’s happening in the industry

6 SCIENTISTS STUDY TOXIC SEA SLUG Research builds better understanding of tetrodotoxin

7 GEODUCKS IN BRITISH COLUMBIA Huge find willing buyers in Asia

8 ACROSS THE DITCH: Change is the nature of evolution Efficiency will ensure we stay ahead of the economic game

9 NEW APPOINTMENTS

Two key leaders keen to meet new challenges ISSUE 38 ® NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 $5.00

10 OCEAN LAW: New bill’s “common space” is a compromise Could geoducks be Takutai Moana bill has different terms but similar provisions the next big thing? SEA SLUGS COPE WITH 11 SALMON STALWART RETURNS TO CANADA DEADLY TETRODOTOXIN Hawthorn oversaw major advances in New Zealand fish farming WILL GENETICALLY SELECTED SEED STOCKS ADAPT 12 BACK TO THE FUTURE TO CHANGE Aquaculture industry is finally gathering momentum again

14 WHAT’S NEXT IN AQUACULTURE? Institute focus is on Bluff and clams ON THE COVER: Geoducks have a big potential future in New Zealand

PHOTO BY: Nick King, Cawthron Institute THE INDEPENDENT VOICE OF NEW ZEALAND AQUACULTURE

TM EDITOR: DESIGNER: Rachel Walker Keith Ingram CONTRIBUTORS: ASSISTANT EDITOR: Hayley Campbell, Paul Decker, Nick King, ISSN 1176-5402 ISSN 1176-8657 (web) Mark Barratt-Boyes Dorothy-Jean McCoubrey, An informative journal Lauren McKenzie, Andrew Morgan, for the aquaculture industry MANAGER: John Mosig, Michael Pignéguy Vivienne Ingram Published by: PRINTER: GEON VIP PUBLICATIONS LTD ADVERTISING: DISTRIBUTION: By subscription 4 Prince Regent Drive, Hamish Stewart and insertion with Professional Skipper Half Moon Bay, Manukau 2012 Ph 09 533 4336 Fax 09 533 4337 General: Reproduction of articles and materials published in New Zealand Aquaculture in whole or part, is permitted provided the source and author(s) are acknowledged. However, all photographic material is copyright and written permission to reproduce in any shape or form is required. Contributions of a nature Email [email protected] relevant to the aquaculture industry are welcomed and industry participants are especially encouraged to contribute. Articles and information printed in [email protected] New Zealand Aquaculture do not necessarily reflect the opinions or formal position or the publishers unless otherwise indicated. All material published in New Zealand Aquaculture is done so with all due care as regards to accuracy and factual content, however, the publishers cannot accept responsibility www.nzaquaculture.co.nz for any errors and omissions which may occur. New Zealand Aquaculture is produced bi-monthly.

2 ■ NZ AQUACULTURE ■ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 EDITORIAL Leafy waste could be TOP NICHE PRODUCT BY ADAM HICKS

o a farmer, it’s a big, brown, leafy waste of growing space. T But to Cawthron senior scientist Henry Kaspar, undaria is an opportunity worth exploring. In the 20 years since it fi rst exploded into New Zealand waters, undaria has invaded practically every mussel line in the country. It may be a quality food product in Asia and a staple ingredient in cosmetics, but at present it’s widely considered to be a noxious weed in New Zealand. However, that could be about to change, now that the government has relaxed restrictions prohibiting undaria farming, says Kaspar. “Undaria is one of the biggest aquaculture crops in the world. It’s mainly harvested in Japan, Korea and China. Most people who eat Asian food will have consumed top of it could fetch a good price. It would not pay to it in some form. Miso soup should have some in it, for go the -food way or the fertiliser way, where you are example. already talking about a low-value product. We’d have to “There is a market for it. It grows well here and it’s aim at the top-value niche market.” here to stay. The government now allows it to be farmed,” Farming methods would also be critical and would need he says. thorough investigation. “If and undaria are grown All these factors mount a case in favour of exploring in the same space, it may mean adjusting the husbandry the potential for turning this weed into a cash crop. “It is practice. These two species may well have requirements a nuisance for mussel farmers. It is a major fouler,” Kaspar that disagree with each other or increase farming costs,” says. he said. “It creates extra work, extra strain, and for the time “Or, where undaria grows together with mussels on being this has been no benefi t to the farmer. But if ways the same rope, there may be ways of harvesting undaria can be found to manage undaria on marine farms so a relatively simply in a pre-run before the mussels are worthwhile crop can be taken, that could change.” harvested. Lifting of government restrictions and Cawthron’s “Either way, there is an opportunity to explore. As usual, successful history of developing marine crops has there may be situations, including places, certain farming Kaspar ready to get growing, depending on the industry measures, production parameters and facilities to process reaction. where there may be good worthwhile opportunities, “We’re prepared to do work on undaria farming. We’ve where a couple of kilometres down the road they may not done quite a bit in the past. We’ve gone through all stages exist,” Henry said. of cultivation of the plant in New Zealand. We could If it all seems a bit far-fetched at this early stage, just revive that and help the industry get this going if they so think of the Pacifi c . “The same thing happened wished. But any programme would require the backing of with the Pacifi c oyster,” Henry said. “It was an accidental industry partners.” invader, like undaria. The key to any potential programme would be “Because it is so much more amenable to farming than exploring ways to make it fi nancially viable. “We are the native , it has replaced the native rock talking about a bulky, relatively low-value crop. But the oyster as the species farmed in New Zealand.”

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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 ■ NZ AQUACULTURE ■ 3 NEWS

INSTITUTE BEGINS FIRST runs at the institute’s Nelson campus and learning and also the academic side to give me AQUACULTURE DIPLOMA Cawthron’s Aquaculture Park at Glenduan. the knowledge.” Students who pass the new Diploma in The NMIT has signed a 10-year agree- He is confi dent he will have job opportuni- Aquaculture (Fish Farming and Fishery ment with Cawthron to deliver the diploma. ties when he graduates that he wouldn’t have Management) at the Nelson Marlborough It includes an industry experience component otherwise been able to apply for. “I’m also Institute of Technology in 2013 will have for students not already working in the fi eld. keen to try out different areas of aquaculture gained practical and theoretical experience in Students will spend a minimum of eight as I’m not 100 percent sure what I’d like to aquaculture and some business management weeks, or two weeks each semester, working specialise in yet. skills. in the industry to hone the skills they have “But that’s where this diploma will also be Throughout the two-year programme, learnt. really useful. It can give me a taste of lots of which begins next year, students will learn con- Wilson says the government’s aim for a jobs in the industry.” cepts and technical skills by working together billion-dollar industry by 2025 will create a There are about 80 businesses employing to solve problems based on real industry situa- need for trained workers. “New marine farms over 2200 people directly connected to aqua- tions, says Jeff Wilson, who heads the institute’s will have to be set up to meet this demand. culture and fi shing businesses in the top of the School for Technology, Primary Industries and That, in turn, requires a steady fl ow of skilled . Marine Studies. workers.” The course has been designed to meet the NMIT’s chief executive, Tony Gray, says his PAUA FARM CLOSED increasing demands of the aquaculture and staff have worked hard to develop a facility A paua farm at Hot Water Beach on the fresh water fi shery management industries. that can be used alongside Cawthron’s own Coromandel Peninsula has closed down Subjects include aquatic anatomy Aquaculture Park at Glenduan. less than three years after the fi rst spat was and physiology, aquatic ecology, fi shery man- “This new diploma is the result of that col- introduced. agement, aquaculture, fi sh and shellfi sh health laboration. It’s probably going to provide some Twelve months ago, the “state of the art” and nutrition, Maori aquaculture interests, and of the best training facilities for students for 20-tonne recirculation facility saw stock show- business and environmental management. fi sh farming and fi sh management in New ing impressive growth rates and some promis- The syllabus was developed with New Zealand, if not Australasia. ing market initiatives being developed, said Zealand King Salmon, Sealord, Aquaculture “It provides the NMIT with on-site spokesman, Peter Besley. New Zealand, Aotearoa and the expertise, students with the ability to look But diffi cult economic times and a failure Marine Farming Association of New Zealand, beyond what they’re doing in terms of our to secure outside investment or industry grants among others. facilities and will provide the chance for took its toll on management, development and “Many of the courses are integrated around students and the research staff at Cawthron maintenance, and re-stocking. “The opportu- key major projects and industry placements, to work together.” nity to ‘live the dream’ awaits another party,” which means the students will gain an excel- Jason Wadsworth was one of the fi rst people Besley said. lent background to move into the aquaculture to enrol for the diploma. “I’ve always wanted to The property includes the aquaculture set- fi eld,” says Wilson. work with fi sh. When I left Nayland College I up, a modern three-bedroom home, a private The diploma is the fi rst level fi ve New went and worked for Sealord on the boats but sanctuary and beach access. Alternatively, the Zealand Qualifi cations Authority course in I wanted more than that.” plant equipment is for sale by removal. aquaculture in New Zealand. As well as being Career Services in Nelson had suggested a fi rst for the NMIT, it is also the fi rst time an the new Diploma of Aquaculture. “It sounded RICH NEW HARVEST LOOMS aquaculture qualifi cation will be available in fantastic,” Wadsworth said. “For me it’s about The Wakatu Incorporation says hosting a the top of the South Island. The programme being the right mix of hands-on practical Chinese delegation on September 9 could be the key to unlocking a multi-million dol- lar industry producing sea cucumbers in the SPCA PROBE SALMON DEATHS upper South Island. The Scottish SPCA is investigating the death of up to 6000 farmed salmon at a fi sh The Shangdong Oriental Ocean Group, said farm in Shetland on August 15. to be a signifi cant player in China’s aquaculture SSPCA inspectors, acting with the police, inspected Hoganess Salmon on the industry, had some of its key people in Nelson western coast of the Shetland Islands. looking at Wakatu’s work. Wakatu’s aquaculture Hoganess Salmon operates from Burrastow and grows about 3000 tonnes of salmon development manager, Dr Mark Allsopp, said over an 18-month cycle. The company is part of the Lakeland Group, which is owned Oriental Oceans was looking to diversify its by the Norwegian company Marine Farms ASA. business geographically. According to Lakeland’s managing director, Willie Liston, problems arose when “New Zealand is in a growth phase in aqua- Hoganess Salmon was carrying out a controlled treatment for sea lice at one of its 16 culture, probably more so than in Australia, so cages in the area on August 15. we’re in a prime position to team up with Between 5000 and 6000 fully grown salmon weighing an average of 3.5kg each had them.” died. The company immediately launched its own investigation into what happened. Sea cucumbers already grow beneath The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency is said to have become involved Wakatu’s mussel farms in the Marlborough after the dead fi sh were transported to a rubbish dump in Lerwick. Sounds. They are a delicacy in Asia, where they “The investigation revolves around a higher level of mortality than we would have sell for $50 to $3000 per kilo. expected in one cage while doing a sea lice treatment,” said Liston. He described the China produces 14,000 tonnes of sea procedure as “a gentle bath treatment”. cucumber annually for its nutraceutical ben- The cage had been enclosed in a tarpaulin and the treatment had allegedly been efi ts and as an aphrodisiac. They were very applied using “one of the latest technology workboats to look after the welfare of the much a high-end product appreciated by fi sh”, allowing the dosage to be more fi nely measured. wealthy Asians, he said. The Lakeland Group is certifi ed by the English Royal Society for the Prevention of Allsop said his company had its own team of Cruelty to under its Freedom Foods label. It guarantees animals are farmed to scientists and technicians to develop the indus- the highest welfare standards. try. “We’re aiming to transfer sea cucumber technology from China to New Zealand.”

4 ■ NZ AQUACULTURE ■ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 Trials on sea cucumbers growing beneath Wakatu’s mussel farms in the Marlborough SALMON HELP AIRLINE FLY THE FLAG Sounds had been “quite positive. They hoover New Zealand salmon fi llets were on the lips of 250 London VIPs on September 14 at a up the mussel waste, so we’re actually creating a high-profi le Air New Zealand event in London. by-product from our mussel farms,” he said. The specially prepared fi llets were fl own to the prestigious Saatchi Gallery in London That provided a huge marketing leverage fresh from New Zealand King Salmon’s farm in the Marlborough Sounds. and Oriental Oceans was also an important The salmon was on the menu of New Zealand food and wine as Air New Zealand link, because it was already well established announced the in-fl ight offering on its new Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft. in the industry. Allsop said New Zealand had “We don’t currently export to the United Kingdom and had to pull a few strings another advantage in that temperate-water sea to get our salmon into the country,” said King Salmon’s general manager of sales and cucumbers were worth more than tropical marketing, Don Everitt. “But we are pleased to have pulled it off, as this opens a lot of water species. doors for us.” The company’s exports received a boost in April when the Icelandic volcano HIGH AMBITIONS FOR NEW eruption halted air traffi c and northern Atlantic salmon supplies. The Asian and Middle AQUACULTURE UNIT Eastern hospitality industry turned to New Zealand to fi nd an alternative supply. Setting up and running a new government Everitt said the company had retained much of the new business. business unit will be a challenge and an excel- lent opportunity, says Dan Lees, the director of the new Aquaculture Unit at the Ministry of Aqua Gen says it is already supplying TO eggs this year to Cawthron’s Aquaculture Park at Fisheries. from parent fi sh genetically screened for IPN Glenhaven, which houses New Zealand’s fi rst The Aquaculture Unit is being established resistance. oyster hatchery. as a separately branded business unit housed There are often multiple genes that play a “The potential impact of the research can within MFish as part of the government’s role in determining an individual’s susceptibil- only be regarded as enormous. If the shellfi sh reform of aquaculture. ity to a certain disease. But in this case, the industry no longer had to rely on wild spat It will take the lead on aquaculture across researchers discovered a single gene largely blown up on Ninety Mile Beach, and research central government in a “one stop shop”, accounts for the genetic variation in salmon could close the life cycle of the mussel, selec- working with the aquaculture industry, region- resistance to the IPN virus. tive breeding could begin, and achieve rapid al government and other groups with an inter- “Remarkably, the gene explains 80 percent genetic gains. est in New Zealand’s coastal waters, says the of the variation in resistance to IPN in salmon,” “This could give the New Zealand industry chief executive of MFish, Wayne McNee. said molecular geneticist and project manager an unassailable 10-year lead,” Dr Carnaby said. Lees says aquaculture’s untapped potential Thomas Moen of Aqua Gen. “We couldn’t Dr Kaspar already holds a Royal Society could really boost the whole economy. He has believe it when we fi rst discovered this! This Science and Technology Silver Medal. worked for MFish since 1999 and has held the gene is nearly as strong a determinant as the “I never expected the Silver Medal. I had positions of aquaculture manager and central one that determines eye colour in humans.” always thought I had been given it in advance, inshore fi sheries manager. Discovering such a “powerful” gene enables and have spent the past nine years trying to His work included developing new aquacul- scientists to select for broodstock with the deliver on it. I am totally surprised to now also ture sites, helping set new international stand- highest probability of producing offspring that be given this award.” ards for wild fi sh catches and aquaculture. He are protected from the IPN virus. The test The selective breeding programme includes led a government group tasked with assisting requires only a blood or tissue sample to indi- producing mussels which are better by select- the economic development of the aquaculture cate the most resistant fi sh to select. ing mussels that will produce offspring that industry. “The result is very good,” says Dr Moen. may grow faster, taste and look better and be Lees holds a masters degree in resource “When we select two parent fi sh with good cheaper to process than earlier generations. management and conservation from Bangor IPN resistance, their offspring is practically The research will allow the shellfi sh aqua- University in the United Kingdom. He has immune to the disease.” culture industry to develop to a similar level worked in New Zealand on contract for of technological sophistication already widely the Department of Conservation, the Tasman CAWTHRON SCIENTIST EARNS seen in other primary industries, such as dairy, District Council and the Royal Forest and Bird PRESIDENTIAL AWARD meat and cereals. Protection Society. He also spent two years as A New Zealand scientist who initiated the Marine farmer Bruce Hearn said his small a guide for a number of international trekking world’s fi rst selective mussel breeding pro- mussel company had wanted to diversify into companies, mostly in the Himalayas. gramme has been honoured for his role in fl at oysters. ”We had some pretty big ideas aquaculture research and innovation. about what we wanted to do, but not the GENETIC TEST FINDS Dr Henry Kaspar, who works for the knowledge or background to pull it off on HEALTHIEST SALMON Cawthron Institute, received a special our own. The Norwegian company Aqua Gen says Presidents Award for research-based inno- “Henry was able to convince the right it has developed a new genetic test it says vation for industry from the Royal Society of people of the value of the research and secure quickly determines which salmon have the New Zealand on October 6. the funding that has enabled us to develop a highest resistance to the IPN virus. The test, The award is made by the president of the machine to put the oysters onto ropes, combat announced on August 28, could mean a break- society, Dr Garth Carnaby, and not by the disease and control bio-fouling. Now, three through in the battle against the costly disease. members of the academy. years on, we have a crop of fl at oysters coming In 2007, researchers at the Norwegian com- He said the award was a “one-off” to recog- on at a viable, commercial level.” panies Aqua Gen and Nofi ma Marin and the nise the work being delivered by Cawthron’s Dr Kaspar said the award was the result Centre for Integrative Genetics discovered the shellfi sh breeding programme under Dr of signifi cant collaboration. “What I have markers for a gene that makes salmon more Kaspar’s leadership, and its potential value to been doing here can’t be done single- resistant to the virus causing infectious pancre- New Zealand. handedly.” He has recently returned to a atic necrosis (IPN). Dr Carnaby said he made the decision research role, where he will again contribute The new knowledge about these markers to use his presidential prerogative to make to Cawthron’s aquaculture and bio- is now being applied to selective breeding. the award following the society’s visit earlier technology projects.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 ■ NZ AQUACULTURE ■ 5 Scientists study TOXIC SEA SLUG

BY PAUL MCNABB

raps have been lowered into the waters of the Hauraki assessment of the prevalence and impact of tetrodotoxin, and any Gulf since September in a renewed bid to fi nd out more risks that might be associated with harvesting kai moana. Tabout the toxin responsible for killing dogs on Auckland “Our fi ndings will help iwi around tikapa moana take beaches last summer. the appropriate actions to reduce any risk to people from The Cawthron Institute is collaborating with the Hauraki tetrodoxin.” Maori Trust Board in a $250,000 research project funded by While the research is specifi c to the Hauraki Gulf, McNabb Nga Pae o te Maramatanga to see whether tetrodotoxin, the says the project will also help to answer questions about the poison also found in puffer fi sh, might pose a risk to people and existence of tetrodotoxin in New Zealand, including whether animals eating kai moana from the gulf. The project will run for it is a new phenomenon and whether locals knew about toxic two years. items washing up on the beach. Because the sampling will carry Nga Pae o te Maramatanga is one of eight Centres of on throughout the year it should also point to whether the Research Excellence. It is based at Auckland University and problem is seasonal or continuous. facilitates projects deemed important to Maori. “While it is unlikely to show there is something really Cawthron’s maori business development manager, Shaun dangerous out there that we are eating every day, we don’t really Ogilvie, is leading the project. He is working with ecologist David know what else could potentially also contain the toxin.” Taylor, who recently made the link between the tetrodotoxin A lot of things eaten in a similar area to the slugs could also containing sea slugs and a little-known exotic shellfi sh which is have it, albeit in low levels. “After all this work we still won’t relatively new to New Zealand, as part of sampling work for the know how the slug got its toxin. By looking at sea life similar Auckland Regional Council. to these slugs, if we fi nd they don’t have it then it does lead us Chemist Paul McNabb is developing methods to test samples to assume there has to be something special about the slugs coming out of the project. themselves, and that in itself would be signifi cant.” During a diving survey, Taylor discovered large populations Cawthron’s chief executive, Gillian Watt, says the funding is of sea slugs living among extensive beds of Asian date mussels a signifi cant investment not only by Maori but also in building off Narrow Neck and Cheltenham Beaches, where the dog confi dence among the population that it is safe to return to the poisonings occurred. beach and enjoy the treasures of the sea. The invasive mussel species arrived here in the 1970s and live While there had been no dog deaths this season, there had on offshore sand beds. McNabb says while it’s not thought the been new cases recently involving dogs on Torpedo Bay, Narrow mussels carry the deadly toxin, they were providing a habitat Neck and Milford Beaches, and the discovery of toxic slugs on where the slugs were able to build up and wash ashore in large Kohimarama Beach for the fi rst time. numbers. She said the toxic slugs could have been washing up on the gulf “That new information suggests if we tidy up the Asian date beaches for years. “But it is only now we know the connection mussels, while not getting rid of the slugs, their populations with dog deaths that we are able to match the symptoms to a would go back to normal densities and we might not have the cause. The question now is what can we do about it.” same problem.” Cawthron hosted a tetrodotoxin workshop in Nelson in late McNabb says the new research is essentially aimed at August with three eminent scientists from Australia, Albany determining the risk, if any, of harvesting from the and the University of Waikato, in a bid Gillian Wratt says, Hauraki Gulf, from a toxin point of view. “to take the research forward.” She said Cawthron and their The discovery last year that tetrodotoxin in sea slugs was collaborators were keen to research “big and scientifi cally killing dogs on Auckland’s beaches was surprising, he said. “We exciting questions”. are still uncertain about the potential for this lethal toxin to enter While everyone wanted to know the answers, no-one else the food chain.” seemed able to step up to fund the level of research required to The board’s policy and planning manager, Liane Ngamane, understand the phenomenon, she said. sees their involvement in the project as a natural extension of the “The ocean has thrown up this amazingly toxic slug which kaitiaki role Hauraki iwi have with tikapa moana (the Hauraki somehow, somewhere, has developed a mechanism to cope with Gulf) and a response to concerns about the impacts of toxins on one of the deadliest toxins in the world. And it is right here on tikapa moana. our doorstep. Ngamane says Hauraki iwi have gathered kai moana from “While there is a large amount of evidence that says species its shores for centuries. “This research will help us to better take up tetrodotoxin from their food, what’s not clear is why it understand and manage this toxin.” is fatal to some and not others. Why this particular sea slug can Cawthron, the agency that discovered the presence of the handle it where other species can’t remains the big question.” deadly toxin in the sea slugs, will apply its expertise in testing the Watt said scientists in Japan had been trying to address this for samples for tetrodotoxin and other toxins. about 30 years, without success. “While they’ve made a lot of The trust board will also search its records for any incidences discoveries, they haven’t managed to crack it. of poisoning which were not thought to be linked to toxins. “We could. The sea slug is more amenable to research than At the end of the two years, Cawthron’s technical manager, the Japanese puffer fi sh, or fugu, and wouldn’t that be Paul McNabb, says they hope to be able to provide a detailed phenomenal if we did.”

6 ■ NZ AQUACULTURE ■ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 GEODUCKS in British Columbia

BY MICHAEL PIGNÉGUY

fi shery now ranks as fi rst in landed value among invertebrates in British Columbia. There are numerous farms and harvesting operations in the United States and along the coast of British Columbia. They are also harvested in New Zealand at Golden Bay. A typical open fi shery harvesting operation involves a scuba diver descending to 18.5m (the fi shery is protected past that depth) with a compressed air hose to blow away mud, silt and sand from around the siphon. He quickly grabs the siphon before the digs itself deeper into the seabed. Geoducks have been found at depths of up to 100m, but the industry and the Canadian Department of Fisheries (DFO) have set aside many areas to ensure the sustainability of the fi shery. Shellfi sh don’t usually grab my interest, but I was walking around the waterfront in the little port of Comox on Vancouver Island during a recent visit and got talking to a crew who were unloading their catch of geoducks. They were feeling very pleased with themselves, as they said each clam was worth about NZ$180. They said they would have got a larger catch had it not been for the intervention of some local First Nation people, who are upset commercial fi shers are harvesting their traditional fi shery. The Chemainus First Nation is upping the ante in its battle over geoduck harvesting by planting obstacles in the water around and over geoduck beds, including gill nets and “other underwater devices”, to foil the divers. The president of the Underwater Harvesters Association, James Austin, says he is horrifi ed these dangerous tactics are being used. “It could be a life-ending experience if a diver was caught up in these obstacles,” says Austin. Because some divers rely on an air line from the surface for breathing, as well as for compressed air, there was real eoducks (pronounced “gooey-ducks”) are not one of concern these air lines would be cut when protesters’ boats the feathered variety but are thought to be the largest came very close to them. Things got a bit ugly when a dozen Gburrowing clam in the world. I’m sure you already protest boats surrounded four fi shing boats and harvesting know that, even though they don’t appear to be a favourite was called off. dish in New Zealand. There are commercial quotas, but First Nation people are The tasty, sometimes coarse, fl esh is very popular in allowed to harvest geoducks for food, social and ceremonial Asia, but that may be because of its rumoured aphrodisiac needs. But the DFO says 95 percent of the stock is not taken qualities. and should become a resource for commercial fi shermen. The geoduck (Panopea generosa) is a bi- mollusc. Just south of the border in the state of Washington, It lives under the seabed, with only a small part of its neck, geoduck farmers “plant” baby clams on tidal fl ats inside or siphon, exposed at the surface. The shell measures up to half-buried PVC tubes covered with a plastic netting. This 150mm by 200mm in size. protects the young clams, and a little after a year later the On average a geoduck will weigh between 500g and 1.5kg, protective shells are removed so they can mature, which can but a big one can tip the scales at 7.5kg with a siphon as take three to fi ve years. long as 2m! They attain their average size within three to fi ve Washington state and the Indian tribes each have a right years, the large ones in 15 years, and have been known to live to half the sustainable allowable geoduck catch. Both parties as long as 168 years. are responsible for estimating the geoduck population size, In Canada they sell for around NZ$18 per kilo and in determining sustainable yields and protecting the health of British Columbia the fi shery lands an average annual catch the stock and the habitat upon which they depend. of around 180,000 tonnes. The Asian market prefers live I can’t fi nd any dissenting opinions to that arrangement, so geoducks, and the time from being landed to their arrival it appears to be more successful than the situation the in Hong Kong usually takes two or three days. The geoduck geoduck fi shery in British Columbia fi nds itself in.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 ■ NZ AQUACULTURE ■ 7 ACROSS THE DITCH Change is the nature OF EVOLUTION

BY JOHN MOSIG

’day Kiwi, how’s it going? Sorry to hear about the change. So this brings us back to the theme of this issue’s Across devastation of Christchurch. It’s one of the world’s most The Ditch. The challenge is to get a balance in the research and Gcharming cities, and from the footage we’re getting, it’s development of new ideas that will improve our farms in the taken a real belting. short term, while at the same time preparing them for change I’d like to look at technical advances and biological balance. into the future. We hear a lot about how technology can save the world, and While we’re on Copenhagen, how big a waste of time was heaps of companies are hell bent on developing and patenting that? They never intended to take any decisions other than to the next planet-saving breakthrough. protect their own growth-driven economies, and that involves But surely, especially when breakthroughs are driven by the protecting their carbon-driven industries. In one respect, can profi t motive, that is what will drive marketing of the fi nished you really blame them? product. And let’s face it, if it’s a private investment, regardless of You’d have thought, as world leaders, they would be thoroughly how much government money is poured in through research briefed on the consequences of inaction, or at least a programme grants, the profi t motive will rule supreme. That means if it of change to a non-carbon power system. Maybe I’m a bit of works, it will be marketed. a dreamer. There’s nothing wrong with that, of course, but when it All we’re seeing on this side of the ditch, where we have a comes to biological technology we’re dealing with something hung Parliament, is the Greens driving a move to put a carbon far more complex and mysterious than, say, a cure for ulcers or a tax back on the table. better mousetrap. We’re dealing with a creation that has evolved Hopefully they’ll be pragmatic about it and bring some sense over ages and under circumstances beyond our understanding, to the discussion. And we get measures to encourage alternative and in environmental circumstances we have no experience of. energy source development and not just a great big tax, with Every living creature carries the genetic blueprint of that exemptions for major polluters on the grounds they are big evolution. Even items long-discarded for survival are retained in employers and wealth generators. I’m not holding my breath. a balanced way. And that’s the key to all this genetic selection. But I digress. Environmental change is not so much inevitable We have to ask ourselves, are we locking our seed stock into a as already happening. I don’t want to get into a raging debate technological package that may not be suitable for the changing about whether the climatic extremes we’ve been facing are a environment? natural cycle or man-made. There’s no doubt among climatologists that the oceans are All I’ll say is, if you increase the number of sheep in a district

the biggest single carbon sink for CO2 emissions. The more they there has to be a breaking point. When I was at school there absorb, the more acidic the oceans become. This has to have a were a billion people on paddock Earth. Now there are close to bearing on the food web that has evolved in the dozen or so seven billion and still counting. Join the dots. millennia since the melting of the last Ice Age. To stay ahead of the economic game we have to become If we presume the topsy-turvy nature of our present climactic more effi cient. To keep up with the environmental game we conditions is caused by human activity (looking at the global have to think more laterally, and quickly. Planning for the future response as illustrated by the vote at Copenhagen), we may have has never been more serious. to accept things are going to continue the way they’re going – On the up side, opportunities are everywhere. They’re not all sad as that may be. immediately obvious in an aquaculture sense, but they’re all part But change is the nature of evolution. We’re a product of of the overall seafood-producing picture. See what you think of some of these. You all know how I feel about aquaculture opportunities in New Zealand. You’ve got the world at your feet. How about these as a grab bag of research and development areas? • technology in new protein sources for our diets • technology in genetics to match new protein sources • development of multiple water use in land-based systems • (the) development of poly-culture options • technology for alterative power sources to maintain aeration, and • developing new species. I know some of those don’t quite match the original theme of biological preparation for a changing global climate, but apart from helping the editor, Keith Ingram, fi ll out the page, it shows how many areas can improve the effi ciency and preparedness of the aquaculture industry. I hope that’s given you something to think about. We’ve Most of the productivity gains in aquaculture will be driven by developing locked ourselves onto a treadmill and we’re going to have farming-friendly genotypes to match conditions and diets on an ongoing basis to pedal like mad just to stay even.

8 ■ NZ AQUACULTURE ■ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 APPOINTMENTS

The institute initially hired Dr Burdass to design the new diploma and advise on facilities and outfi tting the new learning areas at Cawthron’s Aquaculture Innovation Centre at Glenduan. “It became a real passion and I got to meet the people and see the region while I was working here. When I was offered the job of running the programme I was absolutely thrilled,” he said. “It means a lot to be able to design and then implement a new programme that brings something different to the local and national aquaculture training scene. “From a personal point of view, I love this region and I’ve even got some former students from the UK who now live and work here, so it feels very exciting to be starting a new life here.” NZ King Salmon Farm, Marlborough Sounds The institute’s chief executive, Tony Gray, said attracting Dr Burdass was a real coup. “He’s recognised internationally NEW APPOINTMENT AT SALMON COMPANY as a leader in his fi eld of marine farming teaching. To be able Mark Preece is the new general to offer our students someone of this calibre in this new fi eld manager of aquaculture at for us is fantastic.” New Zealand King Salmon. The two-year diploma has already attracted over 45 He replaces Stewart Hawthorn, expressions of interest from New Zealand and overseas. Dr who has returned to Canada. Burdass says he is not surprised at the interest, as the diploma Preece was formerly the offers something unique in New Zealand in terms of a cold- company’s sea farms operations water aquaculture qualifi cation. manager. He will be responsible “Unlike other aquaculture for the company’s overall fi sh programmes offered, this diploma farming operations, from the Mark Preece has had an unprecedented level breeding programme and egg of industry involvement in management to delivering harvested fresh salmon to the developing content and also factory door. ensuring the students have direct He joined NZ King Salmon’s predecessor, Southern links with employers while Ocean Seafoods, as a shift worker in 1994, prior to they’re on the programme.” completing his master’s degree in marine science in 1998. He says diploma applicants In 2000 he was appointed sea farms operations manager, need to have a basic level of where he was responsible for fi ve fi sh farms and associated school science. “The whole Dr Mark Burdass activities. He has published two research papers and is a industry in the way it is moving former director of Te Iwi Moriori. forward is dictated by a scientifi c advancement. “While the industry is breaking all export records, there “But the range of careers you can go into is wide – from are many challenges, especially in the areas of sustainability, working on marine farms to laboratory work back on shore safety and career development,” Preece says. “The key and many other career options along the way.” elements for our team are to ensure the best quality salmon The head of Cawthron’s Aquaculture Programme, Henry are delivered to consumers at an affordable cost.” It was also Kaspar, says the company is looking forward to working important to further reduce the company’s impact on the with Dr Burdass. environment, he said. “Mark’s experience and enthusiasm for both aquaculture Preece’s role also includes engaging closely with the Picton and education will make him very effective at developing the and Blenheim communities, supporting local environmental potential of students as well as liaising with the industry. initiatives and recruiting more local people, says the chief Dr Burdass arrives in New Zealand to take up his executive, Grant Rosewarne. “His appointment is testament role in early December. to the knowledge and professionalism of our aquaculture managers that we have made an internal appointment, rather than looking outside the business.” Preece says aquaculture offered a myriad of specialist careers, including farming, science, marketing and engineering. “And it’s an outdoor environment. You train in diving, boat handling and people management and with companies such as ours you can grow within the business.” BRITISH EXPERT LEADS DIPLOMA COURSE A leading international aquaculture educationalist and consultant in the United Kingdom is to head the new Diploma of Aquaculture (Fish Farming and Management) at the Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology. The fi rst intake begins next year. (See story on page 4 in this issue of Aquaculture New Zealand.) Dr Mark Burdass has over 20 years experience, including over two decades at Sparsholt College, the largest fi sh and fi sheries college in the United Kingdom.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 ■ NZ AQUACULTURE ■ 9 OCEAN LAW New bill’s “COMMON SPACE” is a compromise BY HAYLEY CAMPBELL BSC, LLB, SOLICITOR

hile earthquakes were rocking Canterbury, an restored. However, the bill goes on to set out the parameters upheaval of a different kind may have begun with for determining the exact nature and extent of those rights. Wthe introduction into Parliament of the Marine and The provisions are not materially different to those of the Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Bill. 2004 act, but different terminology is used. While I imagine some of you may be rolling your eyes, “Protected customary rights” (as opposed to the 2004 act’s there is no denying Maori got handed a raw deal with the “customary rights orders” can be applied for in the High Court 2004 Foreshore and Seabed Act. (rather than the Maori Land Court) and the test is the same: When Te Tau Ihu iwi challenged the Crown’s presumptive the customary right in question must have been exercised ownership of the foreshore and seabed in the Court of continuously since 1840, in accordance with tikanga. Appeal (the Ngati Apa Case), the court agreed that in Where a customary right is proven, very similar legal general, the foreshore and seabed had not been alienated and protection will be given to continue the exercise of that right tangata whenua could seek title to areas through the Maori as under the 2004 act. The explanatory note to the bill even Land Court. uses the same example, that of collecting stones for a hangi. The act was a knee-jerk reaction to the 2003 decision in Customary title under the bill is comparable to territorial the case amid unfounded fears Maori would be granted title customary rights under the act. While ownership of to large tracts of the foreshore and seabed and would restrict contiguous land was a requirement under the act, the bill access and charge entry to the beach. The quintessential provides that it will now only be a factor that may be taken kiwi summer holiday at the beach would be no longer. The into account. act managed to head these risks off, irrespective of whether The requirement for continuous, exclusive use and there was any basis for them or not. occupation since 1840, in accordance with tikanga, remains. It is diffi cult to see how exclusive occupation could be proven in any area where marine farms exist. IT IS DIFFICULT TO SEE HOW EXCLUSIVE The bill provides for customary rights and title to be recognised through negotiated agreements between iwi/ OCCUPATION COULD BE PROVEN IN ANY hapu and the Crown, but only where the Crown is satisfi ed the relevant tests could have been met in court. AREA WHERE MARINE FARMS EXIST The act required any rights or title to be proven in court before negotiated agreements could be given effect. The act The big question is whether the Takutai Moana Bill is allowed non-Maori groups to assert their customary rights any different to the 2004 Foreshore and Seabed Act. The in certain circumstances – something that was never, to my bill repeals the act and revokes the vesting of the foreshore knowledge, used and is repealed by the bill. The bill also and seabed in the Crown, creating a “common space” introduces a six-year deadline for making applications. instead which no-one can own – an attempt to compromise The act was a rush job. It was reactive and discriminatory, between the two polar opposites of the Crown owning it or and it didn’t provide an enduring solution. The replacement Maori owning it. bill has had so much more development time and yet it doesn’t The marine and coastal area (MCA) in the bill is defi ned seem to have evolved a lot from the act it is replacing. in the same way as the foreshore and seabed in the act – It’s clear this issue is not going to just disappear and we the area from the mean high-water mark out to 12 miles, need an enduring solution, not just the same act dressed by including the air space and water space above, and the subsoil a different tailor. and minerals below. The Maori Affairs Select Committee will undertake The common space does not include areas of the MCA public consultation on the bill, and is due to report back to already in private title. The bill continues the same protection Parliament by next February 25. Make sure your put of public access, fi shing, aquaculture and navigation and in your two cents worth in. some instances extends them. Existing resource consents are unaffected and re-consent applications in relation to Hayley Campbell is a solicitor at Oceanlaw, where she aquaculture will not be affected by any rights recognised works on a range of aquaculture, maritime and fi sheries issues. under the act. As well as her law degree, she has a Bachelor of Science with a Customary rights extinguished by the 2004 act will be double major in marine biology, ecology and biodiversity.

14 New St, Nelson. PO Box 921, Nelson 7040. T +64 3 548 4136. F +64 3 548 4195. Freephone 0800 Oceanlaw. Email [email protected] www.oceanlaw.co.nz

10 ■ NZ AQUACULTURE ■ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 Salmon stalwart RETURNS TO CANADA

Stewart Hawthorn

Z King Salmon’s top aquaculture man, Stewart Hawthorn, is returning to Canada to become Nmanaging director of Grieg Seafoods in Vancouver, British Columbia. NZ King Salmon’s chief executive, Grant Rosewarne, says he has mixed emotions about Hawthorn’s departure. “I’m very pleased for Stewart, but we will miss the contribution he has made over 13 years.” Rosewarne says Hawthorn has overseen some major advances in New Zealand fi sh farming during his time with the company. “Stewart has brought some amazing insights to fi sh farming in New Zealand – across not only technical innovations but also with both a practical and environmentally responsible attitude to how we do business. “He has been a popular fi gure throughout the company and around Picton, opening up our farms to visitors and impressing everyone with his huge knowledge of salmon farming and animal husbandry.” Hawthorn developed the ability to provide big fi sh year-round. “The story goes when Stewart fi rst arrived he suggested it would be great if we could double the size of our young freshwater fi sh by the time they were ready for the sea farms,” said Rosewarne. “There were sceptics, but now the Rosewarne said Stewart had built a positive reputation for freshwater team can deliver fi sh more than three times the the business by communicating openly with all stakeholders size they were able to then. That means we can deliver big and making changes to accommodate the community’s fi sh year-round and that’s what customers want, especially in needs. export markets.” Hawthorn joined NZ King Salmon in Nelson in 1997 He also oversaw commissioning of the company’s new farm as general manager of aquaculture from Canada, where he at Clay Point in 2008, including redeveloping freshwater and had been production manager of Jail Island Salmon, in New sea farm facilities and shore-based offi ces. Brunswick. “Stewart fi rmly believes, and of course we concur, that He says he has learned much about salmon farming while state-of-the-art facilities attract quality staff and that’s good working in New Zealand. “We need to offer our customers for the business,” Rosewarne said. more than just a piece of fi sh! It is about the whole product, Under Hawthorn, the company’s seal management from the way we farm it to how we process it and fi nally the programme had markedly improved its ability to keep seals products we distribute and sell. All of this is nothing if there out, while ensuring they come to no harm from top-to- is no integrity behind what you offer and that starts seabed seal nets. with the team.”

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 ■ NZ AQUACULTURE ■ 11 Back to THE FUTURE

BY ANDREW MORGAN

quaculture in New Zealand before 1991 was a relatively Historically, before the RMA, the small industry, and an application to the Ministry of Tasman and Marlborough Councils AFisheries was needed to obtain a marine farm permit. proposed areas for managing aquaculture. After 1991, these applications were processed under the An impact assessment was undertaken and long-running court Resource Management Act and the Fisheries Act 1996. A hearings resulted. The court coined the term Aquaculture coastal permit under the RMA was also needed, along with Management Area to describe these areas, which became a an accompanying Assessment of Environmental Effects. Under problem under RMA section 12A. This was because there the Fisheries Act 1996 an accompanying Fisheries Resource was nothing to stop permits being applied for outside of these Impact Assessment was also needed. AMAs, as identifi ed by the councils. During the 1990s, demand for space steeply increased, so in During this moratorium, the Treaty of Waitangi Tribunal also March 2002 a moratorium was placed on development of the found that iwi claims for interests in marine farming formed industry to provide for a pause. The steep increase in demand part of a bundle of rights held by Maori in coastal marine raised issues for decision-makers and the environment, as well areas, and that any legislative reform constituted a breach of as applicants. The application process was choked, decisions the principles of the treaty. were being made on insuffi cient information and there was a The Aquaculture Settlement Act established an obligation on two-fold cost to applicants. the Crown to provide iwi with the equivalent of 20 percent This moratorium lasted until December 2004, during of space created between 1992 and 2004. This included those which time no new applications were received and laws were under the Marine Farm Act 1971 and the Fisheries Act 1983 refi ned to deal with issues surrounding the use of coastal space. issued after January 1, 2005. Equivalent space was identifi ed by: This pause allowed an incorporation of balance between the • the new space method, whereby a local authority transfers economy and the environment and led to the Aquaculture 20 percent to Te Ohu Kaimoana Reform Bill, councils’ defi nition of Aquaculture Management • purchase farm, where the Crown purchased farms on the Areas and fi nalisation of coastal plans incorporating these open market and transferred permits to Te Ohu Kaimoana, AMAs. This also allowed councils to identify excluded areas or for aquaculture. • pay the fi nancial equivalent, but only after 2013. Aquaculture could only be outside an AMA if coastal plan However, in 2008 MFish acknowledged the unlikelihood of changes were council-initiated, privately invited plan changes, the new space method being used or the Crown purchasing or council-initiated individual private plan changes. There was permits as part of the Aquaculture Settlement Act. The Crown no provision to challenge excluded areas and the cost was all was left with paying out the equivalent. placed on the individual for a private plan change to establish Iwi in Marlborough and Tasman submitted a proposal an AMA in an excluded area. for early settlement. This was expanded to include the Coromandel Peninsula and all of the South Island. The equivalent fi nancial value for that space was determined to be $97 million. Legislation was required to give effect to the agreement and these iwi are now in a position to potentially FOR SALE invest in the industry. Aquaculture (paua) plant for sale by removal. 20 tonne recirculation During this time, the Foreshore and Seabed Act 2004, also called the RMA Amendment Act 2004, came into being. This system includes 20x aqua tanks, filters, pumps, blowers, grader, act clarifi ed the rights and interests of all New Zealanders generator, chiller, lab equipment, fixtures and fittings, etc. POA. and guarantees public access, the regulation and protection of Phone 027 714-4353 existing customary rights and practices, and ensuring certainty email [email protected] for all. Previously, territorial customary rights were applied for in

12 ■ NZ AQUACULTURE ■ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 the High Court, which meant any group could establish a • improved allocation of space foreshore and seabed reserve. Consequently, the court referred • establishing an aquaculture fund through levies and tenders its fi ndings to the attorney-general and Minister of Maori • streamlining the Undue Adverse Effects (UAE) test Affairs to enter into negotiation. • delivering Maori commercial aquaculture settlement, and The Maori Land Court and the High Court are used to • ensuring a decisive transition and targeting consultation for obtain a customary rights order and the courts determine developing policy and legislation. tikanga of the applying group since 1840 and whether the After a decade of struggle, the industry is fi nally gathering activity has been exercised uninterrupted since then. The momentum and is close to moving forward once again. It will court cannot make an order if it is prohibited by law or make a major contribution to the economy and sustainable already regulated by fi sheries, wildlife or marine mammal economic development into the future. legislation. This will be achieved by freeing up access to identifi ed Furthermore, nothing in the RMA Amendment Act 2004 coastal space and creating an enabling environment in could affect past treaty settlements and future negotiations. This which to invest in and carry out aquaculture. act is currently under repeal and it is likely that ownership of the foreshore and seabed will be placed in the public domain. Despite this, after the RMA 2004 reforms, legislation was found not to have made the whole process for developing marine farming any easier. New applications could only be made after an AMA had been proposed by a council, an WORK & PLAY IN PARADISE impact assessment or FRIA done, the public consulted and appropriate space set aside for iwi. This left some 300 consents in various stages of being applied for. This was because the amendment to the RMA left section 12A limiting applications for farming outside of a council- designated AMA. But the courts ruled a permit could still be applied for outside an AMA. The council could still process such a permit, but the industry could not use these issued permits until an AMA was created for that area under the HOT WATER BEACH 40 Orua Lane coastal plan. Come and discover this unique property with an opportunity to live For example, this affected the Tasman and Wilson Bay blocks your lifestyle dream. Approx 16.74ha consisting of protected in the Coromandel, as the Minister of Fisheries could not precious wetlands and a funky 3bdrm/2bath Intalok beach house. make a decision. It affected the Maori Aquaculture Settlement Imagine after the days work is done being able to walk down to the Act, as the defi nition of new space excluded space in an AMA beach and unwind enjoying all your recreational needs with your where a permit was sought after its establishment. family and friends. So, the fi rst amendment bill only allowed for coastal The 1065 square metre shed aquaculture permits to be applied for inside an AMA, and houses an aquaculture set-up the second amendment bill circumvented these problems including a 20 tonne () through invited plan changes. This has not solved the legislative Global Oceans recirculation problems inhibiting the development of the industry. system (20x Aqua tanks, blow- Given the current state of affairs and the recently formed ers, pumps, blowers, generator, industry organisation Aquaculture New Zealand, chief grader, filters etc). executive offi cer Mike Burrell and his team have facilitated the development of the consultation document Re-starting Exclusive PBN Aquaculture, put together by the technical advisory group. www.rwwhitianga.co.nz/WTI20123

The group’s key fi ndings for re-starting aquaculture are: Katrina Carlyon Licensee Salesperson VIP.AC38 • a national direction through central government and an 021 724 200 a/h: 07 867 1551 [email protected] aquaculture agency through MFish Ray White Whitianga 07 866 2190 • a fl exible approach to planning AJ Innes Real Estate Ltd Licensed (REAA 2008) • enhancement of coastal permits for aquaculture

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 ■ NZ AQUACULTURE ■ 13 WHAT’S NEXT in shellfish AQUACULTURE?

BY NICK KING, CAWTHRON INSTITUTE

ollowing its success with Pacifi c oysters and domesticating improvement programme in partnership with the mussel the Greenshell™ mussel, the Cawthron Institute is industry to improve product quality and help achieve that Fevaluating what it says is the “next generation” of Greenshell price premium. shellfi sh species. We’ve done the same with the Pacifi c oyster industry. Back in the 1970s, few people could have imagined the Another option with the potential to further increase the New Zealand mussel industry of today. The combination of revenue generated from our water space, as well as spreading a unique product, pioneering innovation and some of the risk, is species diversifi cation. Aquaculture New Zealand cleanest water in the world created a fl ourishing aquaculture recognises the strategic importance of this and Cawthron’s industry that has grown to be one of our biggest seafood research is following their lead to help create new industries export earners and serves as a model for converting wild based on high-value shellfi sh species. capture species to sustainable aquaculture. One of the challenges of this process is how to pick the The downside of our enviably effi cient production winners. There are several candidates, but we need to be system has been transforming the Greenshell mussel into a careful not to spread ourselves too thinly when it comes to commodity to the extent that it is diffi cult to market our research and development resources, as well as the capital species as the premium product it deserves to be. required to build a new industry. How does the shellfi sh sector contribute to the industry’s At Cawthron we’ve adopted a pipeline approach, starting goal of reaching $1 billion by 2020 without simply producing with Pacifi c oysters 15 years ago, and then moving our more volume? For a start, Cawthron is developing a genetic research focus on to mussels using much of the technology

14 ■ NZ AQUACULTURE ■ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 successfully developed for oysters. We’re now poised to begin applying our oyster and mussel knowledge to domesticating the next shellfi sh aquaculture species. As part of Cawthron’s cultured shellfi sh research programme, we’ve been looking to identify the species that will be most likely to succeed as the foundation for new shellfi sh industries in New Zealand. A key criterion for us was that any new species should have strong, high-value international export markets. We realise that without pull from the market and support from industry, introducing a new shellfi sh species would be an uphill battle. After talking to stakeholders, we identifi ed two species, the fl at oyster and the geoduck, that have support from industry and good market prospects. We believe appropriate research and development will enable these species to become a signifi cant part of New Zealand’s shellfi sh aquaculture sector. The fl at oyster (Ostrea chilensis) forms the basis of the Bluff oyster fi shery and was the most favoured species among industry stakeholders. Several New Zealand companies are already developing farming systems and working to domesticate this species. and provides an ideal test bed for new technologies. What’s next However, the common theme to emerge was that oyster At the same time, these partnerships allow the industry to in shellfish aquaculture? mortalities associated with the parasite Bonamia exitiosa need take risks during the development phase so that when the Geoducks to be understood and managed if this species is to succeed in time comes they are in a position to invest with confi dence. aquaculture. Bonamia has been a problem in the Bluff oyster Looking ahead, the aquaculture sector’s ambitious $1 fi shery and could potentially have a similar impact on fl at billion goal will be its own reward. But for most New oyster aquaculture. Zealanders who have never seen a geoduck or tasted toheroa, To manage bonamia we need a better understanding of the reward of having these fantastic foods on the dinner table how grow-out environment and culture methods affect could transform our country’s food culture as much as the prevalence of the parasite. Selective breeding promises the Greenshell mussel has over the last 30 years. to improve oyster fi tness, providing increased resistance to bonamia as well as increasing growth rates and improving product quality. The geoduck, pronounced “gooey duck”, is a large, unusual and delicious clam. It has substantial, high-value markets in Asia, where demand currently outstrips supply and is likely to remain that way. In New Zealand, our geoduck (Panopea zelandica) is not well known but in North America their geoduck is a popular delicacy that supports a large industry. Our key challenge is to devise culture methods that comply with New Zealand legislation preventing the type of inter-tidal farming used overseas. Options available include seabed ranching, where geoduck are planted out and left until harvest, farming on existing long-line systems if suitable technology can be developed, or pond-based farming. Our initial objective is to produce enough spat to allow evaluation of potential grow-out methods. The New Zealand ( novaezelandiae) is a popular candidate for aquaculture but there are questions about its export value. Surf clams, including the iconic toheroa, have potential but rank lower, due to the market development required and the technical diffi culties of farming these species. We’re not ruling these species out. It’s more a case that they’re further down the pipeline. Once we’ve made good progress with the fl at oyster and geoduck, we’ll revisit the next one in line. As science providers, we see solving the key technical challenges of disease control (for the fl at oyster) and grow- out methods (for the geoduck) as essential to the creation of new industries based on these species. However, we also realise that good market development and investment capital are critical for industry growth. Forming partnerships with the industry enables us to solve the technical challenges in a commercially relevant context VIP.AC31

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 ■ NZ AQUACULTURE ■ 15 Think ahead for a career in Aquaculture Graduates of the Diploma in Aquaculture (Fish Farming and Fishery Management) can gain roles in; Commercial Aquaculture, Research, Sales and Marketing, Enhancement Culture, Fisheries Consulting or could pathway into a Degree in Marine Biology. Think ahead and APPLY NOW for 2011 QUALIFICATION GAINED: NMIT Diploma in Aquaculture (Fish Farming and Fishery Management) (Level 5) DURATION: 2 years full-time or part-time equivalent, Nelson Campus

See www.nmit.ac.nz Search keyword: ‘Aquaculture’ or call 0800 422 733 for more information YOU CAN CHECK OUT NMITNZ ON YOUTUBE AND JOIN US ON FACEBOOK VIP.AC38