Science Centres: Fisheries

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. The Government has since agreed to change the cut-off date to allow a further 140 marine farming consent applications to be processed.

Under the new legislation, regional councils and unitary authorities are now responsible for developing aquaculture management areas (AMAs) for their coastlines. Staff from the National Centre for Fisheries and Aquaculture can help by providing the scientific advice to be used in this process. They have extensive knowledge of the scientific and broader planning issues relating to marine farming, ranging from small farms in sheltered coastal waters to large offshore proposals.

“We believe that such expertise would greatly help regional authorities develop the proposed AMAs and manage the development of these areas for different activities,” says NIWA’s Deputy Chief Executive for Strategic Development, Dr Rick Pridmore.

This approach would help aquaculture keep pace with the demand for seafood and increase regional and national investment and employment opportunities, without damaging the environment or overly restricting recreational use of coastal waters. Strong emphasis would also be placed on cultural considerations and existing fisheries.

“The moratorium does not give us much time to get all the processes in place, and we are anxious to ensure that all relevant information and services are coordinated and made available to regional authorities, so that future developments aren’t held up any more than necessary.”

NIWA has substantial expertise in culturing fish and shellfish, determining the capacity of areas to sustain aquaculture, and evaluating any impacts of aquaculture on the environment. Staff from the Centre are also working with the Ministry of Fisheries to provide the scientific information needed to support the continued development of New Zealand’s successful fishing industry.