Paua to the Chathams
Exporting NZ fisheries expertise to Chile
Salmon smolts delivered
Science improves fisheries decisions
Kingfish farm opens
NIWA scientist Richard O’Driscoll spent time in Chile late last year assisting with an acoustic survey of juvenile hoki in Chilean fiords. His role was to provide independent commentary, critical review, and expert analysis of the operation for the Chilean government’s Instituto de Formento Pesquero. NIWA has previously assisted the Chileans with stock assessment for a range of species, including orange roughy, hoki, hake, and mackerel, and provided training and advice on acoustic survey technology and techniques for establishing the age of fish.
What is the best basis for determining the total allowable catch for a fishery?
The conventional approach is to conduct regular or periodic stock assessments and then, based on possible results of different scenarios, make a management decision.
Under an Operational Management Procedure (OMP), however, stakeholders define a range of objectives that they wish to achieve (i.e., healthy stock size, good catch rates, minimal risk of poor outcomes).
Parengarenga Fishfarm manager, Garth Foote (centre), with NIWA scientists Steve Pether (left) and Ian Cameron (right) at the opening.
New Zealand’s only land-based kingfish farm was opened late last year in the Far North. The $10 million facility is owned and operated by the Parengarenga Incorporation.
NIWA supplies the farm with fingerlings, spawned at our Bream Bay Aquaculture Park.
About 27 000 paua seed grown by NIWA have been used by the PAUAMAC 4 Industry Association to re-seed Chatham Islands paua beds.
The seed were spawned from Chatham Islands paua broodstock and grown to about 10 mm diameter at NIWA’s Mahanga Bay aquaculture facility in Wellington. They were then airfreighted to the OceaNZ Blue facility at NIWA’s Bream Bay Aquaculture Park for further growing before being put out in the wild.
Over the past four years, NIWA has supplied over 390 000 seed and 13 million larvae to commercial clients.
