A trick of the light: suppressing maturation in farmed salmon
New aquaculture species attract research funding
NIWA's new aquaculture research leader
Great age for rubyfish and bluenose
Pioneering research scientist retires
Artificial eel diets have potential
A cooperative study between NIWA and GNS scientists has successfully confirmed the high maximum ages of rubyfish and bluenose. The study, funded by the Ministry of Fisheries, was based on levels of radiocarbon (14C) derived from nuclear bomb tests in the South Pacific in the1960s in different parts of the otoliths of these fish compared with visible growth zones in the otoliths.
New Zealand will soon be adding kingfish, kina, lobsters, eels, and groper to its list of aquaculture exports. This is the target of the new aquaculture species research to be carried out for the Foundation of Research, Science & Technology under a new $1.5 million a year research contract awarded to NIWA.
Research leader Dr Peter Lee says the research is aiming for the commercial culture of these new species to generate up to $10 million annually within the next 6 years. About 80% of this production is destined for export.
There are no commercial eel farms in New Zealand at present, but there is renewed interest in eel farming for commercial production, Maori customary use, and replenishment of depleted natural stocks.
In the past, eel farmers have grown glass eels to commercial size, and there has been little interest in fattening wild-caught, legal-sized eels (over 220 g) due to the risks of disease, uncertain economics, and the difficulty of weaning them on to prepared foods.
NIWA’s aquaculture research programme received increased funding in the recent FRST funding round which will enable it to focus on advancing the aquaculture of five fish and shellfish species to commercial production by 2008. The proposed research, in partnership with Maori and industry, will concentrate on kingfish, eels, kina, rock lobster, and groper.
The new programme will be led by Dr. Peter Lee, whose experience in aquaculture research and commercial production will be critical to leading the research to success.
Peter Redfearn is well known in the aquaculture world for his long involvement with paua and the highly successful courses, run yearly from 1987 to 2000, that introduced potential farmers to paua cultivation. He was a member of the research team that developed the techniques to rear paua in New Zealand in the early 1980s.
Underwater lighting is turned on in the tanks at least 30 minutes before sunset.
Controlling maturation is one of the more pervasive problems facing New Zealand’s salmon farming industry, currently our second largest aquaculture earner after greenshell mussels. Salmon sold at market are sexually immature and in prime condition. As maturity approaches, however, more and more energy is used by the developing gonads, and body condition is sacrificed in favour of reproductive output.
