Welcome to the National Centre for Fisheries and Aquaculture
New Centre eases moratorium worries
Bream Bay Aquaculture ready for opening day
More surveys of Bonamia in Foveaux Strait oysters
Sharing knowledge of bath-sponge aquaculture and market potential with marine farmers
Snapper tagging study to assess west coast stock
Short-term fattening of wild caught shortfinned eels
An article in Aquaculture Update 25 introduced bath-sponge farming as an aquaculture prospect for New Zealand. Last year, Dr Michelle Kelly, NIWA, led a workshop in Nelson for iwi representatives (Ngati Koata and Ngati Rarua), Sanford South Island Ltd, and independent marine farmers on this “new” marine resource and the feasibility of bath-sponge farming in New Zealand.
Over the last year, NIWA has conducted PGSF-funded research at pilot farms to study the growth rate and ecological requirements of the most common New Zealand bath-sponge, Spongia manipulatus.
During 2000-2001, NIWA undertook pilot trials to fatten shortfinned eels that were close to the commercial threshold size. The primary focus of the work was to minimise the costs of fattening eels by using existing pond systems and by identifying inexpensive and locally available foods. We investigated the reliable selection of females and their supplementary feeding as a means of increasing production from the wild fishery to improve supply for both commercial and Maori customary fisheries.
Results of fattening trials in farm ponds and in a pond of treated dairy wastes are encouraging.
Councils grappling with the Government’s moratorium on new aquaculture permits can turn to NIWA’s recently established National Centre for Fisheries and Aquaculture for help.
NIWA established the Centre to coordinate its services in aquaculture and fisheries planning, development, and research.
The two-year moratorium was designed to prevent councils from processing any new coastal permit applications until new rules for coastal plans had been developed.
Construction of NIWA’s new aquaculture facility at Bream Bay, south of Whangarei, is now complete.
All resource consents and fish farming permits have been issued for Bream Bay Aquaculture, and we have appointed two experienced staff from overseas to manage its operations. The facility has four separate buildings which cover an area of 3000 m2, including a hatchery, nursery, office space, conference room, accommodation, wet and dry laboratories, and a workshop and storage area.
NIWA is working with the Ministry of Fisheries and the Bluff Oyster Management Company to survey parts of Foveaux Strait to collect information on the impact of the current outbreak of Bonamia exitiosus on the oyster population. This is the third such survey this summer.
Between 1986 and 1992 Bonamia reduced the Foveaux Strait oyster population to 9% of its pre- disease size. A survey in March 2000 showed that infection was not widespread and high prevalence was limited to the area of the original outbreak, but by October 2001 Bonamia was widespread over the whole population.
It’s not easy counting the number of snapper moving around, out of sight, along the whole west coast of the North Island. The first attempt to do this since 1990 will take place when scientists tag and release 27 000 snapper in February and March between North Cape and Kapiti.
The project, which has been commissioned by the Ministry of Fisheries, is being carried out by a joint venture of NIWA, SNA 8 Stakeholders Group, and Kingett Mitchell and Associates Ltd.
This stock is the second largest of the four New Zealand snapper stocks.
Although fisheries and aquaculture research can be seen as very different disciplines, they are closely linked in practice. The technical, biological, and ecological understanding required is similar – what differs is the application.
NIWA has strong capabilities in fisheries and aquaculture planning, development, and research that benefit from the wide blend of scientific skills available within New Zealand’s second largest Crown Research Institute.
