Science Centres: Fisheries

NIWA’s collaboration with kiwi firm Sea Urchin New Zealand (SUNZ) has led to improvements in the quantity and quality of kina (sea urchin) roe, giving fishers a better income for the same number of animals.

Roe yields in wild-caught kina have been consistently doubled by feeding them a protein-rich diet developed from fishing byproduct by NIWA. The kina are held in either land-based tanks or sea-cages and are finished with their natural kelp food.

Commercial-scale sea trials in the Marlborough Sounds showed that the switch from land-based to sea-based operations hugely reduced infrastructure costs, and reduced labour and feeding costs by about 80%.

Roe taste has also been greatly improved. ‘All the product was taste tested by our regular clients, who came back with positive feedback... a great success in itself’, says Peter Herbert, managing director of SUNZ.

The recent trials were co-funded by SUNZ and the Technology for Business Growth scheme.