ISSUE 06

JULY/AUGUST 2005

$5.00

Oysters are a
growing success

The latest
news and
views
New Zealand
natives have
unrealised potential

CONTENTS

10

14

EDITORIAL

NEWS
A look at whats happening in the industry

PARADOX, OR JUST SMITHS DREAM

Marron swoop stopped a valuable resource

CLEVEDON COAST OYSTERS ARE A GROWING SUCCESS

Clean water the key to Pacific oyster enterprise

10 NATIVE FISH FEAST ON EXOTIC CARP

Grass carp fry were no match for native dwarf inanga
11 NEW ZEALAND NATIVE FRESHWATER FISH IN AQUACULTURE
Captive-bred native fresh have potential
12 SCIENTIST STARTED AQUACULTURE PARK
NIWA scientist Dr Simon Hooker leaves a legacy
14 NEW PRODUCTS
A special tarpaulin for the aquaculture industry

ISSUE 06

MANAGER: Vivienne Ingram

ISSN 1176-5402 ISSN 1176-8657 (web)

An informative journal
for the aquaculture industry
Published by:
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Half Moon Bay, Pakuranga 1706
Ph 09 533 4336 Fax 09 533 4337
email keith@skipper.co.nz
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www.nzaquaculture.co.nz

ASSISTANT EDITOR:
Mark Barratt-Boyes
CONTRIBUTORS:
Andrew Morgan, Scott Peddie,
Charles Mitchell, Tagried Kurwie,
David Cooper

JULY/AUG
UST 2005

$5.00

Oys rs ar
growinte
g succeessa
ON THE COVER:
CallumMcCallum of
Clevedon Coast
Oysters harvests
first-stage oysters
on spat sticks.
Photo by
Keith Ingram

EDITOR: Keith Ingram

The lat
est
news
and
views
New Ze
ala
nd
unreali natives ha
ve
sed po
tential

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acknowledged. However, all photographic material is copyright and written permission to reproduce in any shape or form is required. Contributions of a nature
relevant to the aquaculture industry are welcomed and industry participants are especially encouraged to contribute. Articles and information printed in
New Zealand Aquaculture do not necessarily reflect the opinions or formal position or the publishers unless otherwise indicated. All material published in
New Zealand Aquaculture is done so with all due care as regards to accuracy and factual content, however, the publishers cannot accept responsibility
for any errors and omissions which may occur. New Zealand Aquaculture is produced bi-monthly.

NZ AQUACULTURE JULY/AUGUST 05

EDITORIAL
BY KEITH INGRAM

STRATEGY OR JUST A TALKFEST?

he news is not all bad.The Ministry of Economic

Development recently announcd that it is to provide
funds to help prepare an aquaculture sector strategy
which will see the industry working with communities, Maori,
recreational and fishing interests, regional councils and the
government to minimise barriers and seek innovative
opportunities.
This has got to be good news.And maybe those responsible
for doing the review and strategy will investigate whether the
aquaculture industry is being best served by the Ministry of
Fisheries, or maybe it should have its own minister and
supporting staff under another ministry, say the Ministry of
Economic Development or Primary Produce might be two
good places to consider.
Since New Zealand Aquaculture started publication it has
been hard not to get embroiled in the industrys woes while
seeking potential solutions and outcomes. It never ceases to
amaze me how the new Aquaculture Law Reform Bill can be
passed into law with so many restrictions and pitfalls that it
effectively stifles the economic development of a primary food
producing industry.
The industry currently utilises around 5000ha of water space
in the production of seafood.When you consider the amount
of water space the government is trying to lock up into No
touch marine reserves, one has to ask, where do our priorities
lie when we have a growing population?
The aquaculture industry is not asking for unimpeded access
to a total coastline. It is, however, asking for fair and reasonable
access to water space where it can develop the industry and
expand as a primary food producer.
If aquaculture is so good, why is it so hard to get water space?
The industry itself is mindful and respectful of the privilege of
farming in a public domain.As such, it has never refused public
access for any reasons other than personal safety.
In getting around the coast and talking to those against
aquaculture developments, the common argument of pollution
is raised. Now, lets look at this.The aquaculture industry itself
would have to be the best monitors of water quality, and these
farmers would have the greatest fear of potential pollution and
so are best placed to give early warnings.
Both the industry and the ministry have learnt some early

lessons on where best to place and manage aquaculture areas.

In talking to the detractors, the only justifiable argument that
seems to come through is one of visual pollution.
And yet many residents overlooking aquaculture farms say
the farm makes their view an active one, as there is frequently
something happening within the farm that generates visual
interest. On investigating deeper, it would appear that many of
the detractors suffer from a severe case of the Not In My Back
Yard, or NIMBY syndrome, with no degree of accountability
when making their objections. Unfortunately the RMA provides
for these people. It is a burden we must all carry.
Lets look at the good side of aquaculture. Our shellfish are
one of the few to be accepted into the United States by the US
Food and Drug Administration as being allowed to come
directly from the sea to the retail stores of America.This
recognition alone is a huge honour, and an indication of our
pristine waters and the systems which the aquaculture industry
has in place to monitor bio-toxins and potential pollution
threats and if need be, be able to close the industry down
within 24 hours.
The good news about this is the confidence we have in our
industry of maintaining a quality product for human
consumption at all costs.Although we have a depuration
capacity and procedures in place to cleanse or flush shellfish
products, the New Zealand shellfish industry rarely has the
need to depurate its produce. On occasions when this is
required, it occurs in those areas where we have marine farms
in popular boating areas where recreational boaties continue to
pump raw sewage and effluent into the water and in many cases
within 500m of a marine farm.
These farmers recognise this problem, and conversely have
systems in place to ensure that their stock has had adequate
time to depurate after the busy boating holiday period prior to
harvesting.
This being the case, and with a strong and vibrant aquaculture
industry which all New Zealanders can benefit from, we need
commitment from the government, regional councils and the
public to accommodate the further development of aquaculture
space which will be insignificant when compared with the large
amount in marine protected areas being promoted as
areas for the public good.

ac

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ISSUE 05

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JULY/AUGUST 05 NZ AQUACULTURE

NEWS

WORLDS FIRST ORGANIC

PACIFIC OYSTERS
Clevedon Coast Oysters and Biomarine Ltd
earned AgriQualitys organic certification on
April 27. It is the first Pacific oyster farm in
the world to earn the prestigious organic
quality mark.Along with their own brands,
Clevedon Coast Oysters and Biomarine Ltd
also export under the Jemco brand.
In market positioning terms, organic
aquaculture is best defined as being a subset
of organic food suppliers, not as seafood
producers.This is because the growing
demand for organic seafood is aligned to the
increase in the organic foods businesses,
which is much higher than the demand curve
for general seafood.
The organic food business is the fastest
growing global food sector, with the subset of
organic seafood growing at 30 percent per
annum.There is currently very little certified
organic shellfish available to a market hungry
for product.
New Zealands AgriQuality certification
operates at all levels of the process and
across most agriculture and food sectors.
Internationally, the certificate assures
customers that the product they are buying is

absolutely organic, with product traceability

ensured throughout.
The pay-off to Clevedon Coast Oysters
and Biomarine is the independent verification
that theirs are clean and green organically
grown oysters. It gives them a clearly unique
selling point in Europe, the United States and
an emerging Asian organic market where
customers will pay a premium for certified
organic produce, says a director of Clevedon
Coast oysters, Callum McCallum.
AgriQualitys organic certification is not a
process to be undertaken lightly. Obtaining
the certification took three very busy months
for McCallum, and Biomarines Jim Dollimore.
It encompassed the verification that every
step in their seeding, growing, harvesting and

FARMED SALMON SUFFERING DEFORMITIES

Up to five percent of farmed Atlantic salmon in Norway, one of the worlds top producers,
suffer deformities perhaps linked to growing too fast or pollution.
Our overall estimate for deformities in salmon is somewhere between one and five
percent, said Grete Baeverfjord, a senior research scientist at the Norwegian Institute of
Aquaculture Research.
Deformities also affect fish in other nations and other farmed species, including rainbow
trout or sea bream in pens from Norway to Chile.
Rates of deformities can exceed 25 percent in some fish farms off Norway, while in
others it is almost zero, said Baeverfjord.Were talking of millions of fish in total, she told
Reuters during a break from a meeting in Bergen, Norway to try and chart spinal disorders
in fish farms. Norway, Britain, Denmark and Italy are cooperating on a European research
project to find ways to control the deformities.
One of the most frequently observed deformities is a curved spine, caused when the
flesh of young farmed fish grows too fast for their skeletons. Others include jaws that
cannot close or a lack of gills. Some of the deformities were only slight, Baeverfjord said.
The reasons for the deformities are unknown, but could include an imbalance of minerals in
feed, polluted water, cramped pens or the wrong water temperatures.
In some tanks for young fish, the water is kept warmer than in the sea to promote faster
muscle growth than in the wild in a bid to maximise returns.With abundant food, the warm
water may contribute to a bent spine, as the pink flesh grows faster than the bones.
Deformed fish can be sold for human consumption, for instance as fillets or in pate.
Were taking the problem very seriously, said Petter Arnesen, vice-president of
Norways second largest salmon producer, Fjord Seafood. Fish is one of the countrys top
exports, behind oil and gas.If we were sure what caused this we would be able to do
something about it.
He said the rate of deformities was roughly stable, but that the commonest types had
shifted in recent years to back problems.A few years ago, cataracts were a problem.

production processes, and that every supplier

and every materials manufacturer and
contractor used organic practices and
products.
Both companies teams say they are
committed to production methods and
practices which are truly sustainable and
environmentally sound, and that provide
customers with the best organic taste
experience.
And it took a couple of Kiwis to do it first.
See www.clevedonoysters.co.nz,
www.oystersnz.com and
www.agriquality.co.nz/food_processing
INSTITUTE HEAD LEAVES
AFTER A LONG TENURE
The Cawthron Institutes chief executive,
Graeme Robertson, is leaving after 17 years
in the role.
The chairman, Ian Kearney, said Robertson
had indicated that he felt
it was the right time to
move on to seek new
executive challenges.
The board wishes
him every success in the
future. He has done a
brilliant job for
Cawthron, said
Kearney.
Cawthron had 40 staff
Graeme Robertson
and was making large
losses when Robertson took up his
appointment in 1988. Last year, with a staff of
over 150, its financial performance was the
best in its history.
Robertson had led Cawthrons expansion
into world-leading research in aquaculture,
biosecurity, coastal marine and freshwater
management.Cawthrons laboratory services
have also made their mark, for example in
the area of marine biotoxin analysis, where
Cawthron is a world leader in protecting the
aquaculture industry, Kearney said.
He has definitely put Cawthron on the
map in terms of applied science, and his
honest, down-to-earth, approachable style has
been admired and respected by colleagues,
clients and his industry peers.
We know staff will be disappointed to see
him go, but Graemes passion for Cawthron
and its people remains as his legacy, says
Kearney.
Cawthrons research strategy manager,
Danette Olsen, will act as chief executive
until a new appointment is made.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

NZ AQUACULTURE JULY/AUGUST 05

A PARADOX, OR JUST SMITHS DREAM

BY CHARLES MITCHELL, M SC

he biosecurity police recently swooped to eradicate

gudgeon and marron from two sites in West
Auckland.The media trumpeted this cleansing of
our pristine environment. But some questions remain
unanswered.
Setting the gudgeon aside (worthless little tiddlers), why
wasnt the aquaculture community consulted about the
eradication of marron? These fish had existed here for
decades, had not spread and offered significant potential for
the New Zealand aquaculture industry.What are we actually
being protected from?
The first settlers recognised that New Zealand was seriously
deficient in large, freshwater fish and successfully remedied the
problem with salmon and trout.This was because before
recent major geological uplifting, the whole place was pretty
much under the sea.
All that remained was a few islands like the Chathams, with
presumably small streams, where koura, eels, small galaxiids
and bullies clung on, together with stream invertebrates. Even
today, native fish diversity is highest in small, coastal bush
streams.
Recent fossil evidence has shown that Murray cod and
presumably a range of the other southern Australian
freshwater native fauna were originally found here.This would
have likely included marron and the full range of other species
of Australian fresh water crayfish, evolved over millennia.
I would suggest that marron and other species such as the
Australian grayling, silver perch and Australian bass are much
more appropriate to reintroduce to New Zealands now reenlarged fresh water than salmon or trout.
Protecting biodiversity while exterminating rare species
seems a bit contradictory.The paradox that all exotics are
highly dangerous also requires thoughtful consideration.
Biodiversity police live from a society supported almost
entirely by exotic plants and animals.We are in fact the worst
exotic pest of the lot. Logically, if all natives are good and all
exotics are bad, humans and their support ecosystems must
eventually be eliminated from New Zealand. Perhaps we could
just make an exception for ourselves and merge into a native
species paradise? Dining on sandflies, perhaps?
I wouldnt count on it.The Department of Conservation has
fewer than 2000 staff and manages one third of New
Zealand.The remaining four million of us are crammed into
the rest, busily manipulating the environment, together with
invasive species such as sheep, ryegrass and clover. But DoC is
notoriously underfunded and parasitises the taxpayer to even
maintain the presence that it has.
If sustainability really works, surely DoC could show us the
way. Supporting even 4000 staff and their dependents
sustainably from one third of the whole country surely isnt
too big a task?
And if they declare it impossible, then what right do they
have to impose an inflexible environmental management
paradigm on the bit we must exploit in any sustainable way

IF ALL NATIVES ARE GOOD

AND ALL EXOTICS ARE BAD,
HUMANS AND THEIR SUPPORT
ECOSYSTEMS MUST
EVENTUALLY BE ELIMINATED

possible, in order to pay the taxes from which they draw their
living? Perhaps the conservation philosophy requires
adjustment to better fit reality. Its not too clever to saw off
the branch that you are sitting on, is it?
In the meantime, I hope that more hidden stocks of marron
remain, and if they ever do come to light, that some thought
should go into actually consulting with informed and involved
people about the potential future value of these animals
for the New Zealand economy.

ac

By Charles Mitchell M Sc (Distinction Otago) zoology,

of Charles Mitchell and Associates, biological consultants.
He is also a whitebait rancher. Email Chaz.fis@xtra.co.nz

VIP.AC01

JULY/AUGUST 05 NZ AQUACULTURE

CLEVEDON COAST OYSTERS

are a growing success
BY KEITH INGRAM

ew Zealands isolated position in the vast Pacific

Ocean makes it the best country in the world
for farming oysters.
Locally we have three species of oysters.The Bluff dredged
oyster, which is also found in Nelson, is rated as the premium
commercially harvested native oyster in New Zealand.
Alongside this oyster in our northern waters is another
native, the rock oyster.
But only the Bluff oyster was commercially viable to harvest
until a new marine invader arrived in New Zealand during the
mid to late-1950s on the hulls of the barges that brought out
sections of Aucklands Harbour Bridge from Japan.
This new arrival, the Pacific oyster, found our environment
to be ideal, and quickly established itself around New
Zealands northern coastline.Although it arrived illegally, this
oyster was soon recognised as having the potential to be
farmed and create a new aquacultural industry.
New Zealands sub-Antarctic convergence zone, where
cold, nutrient-rich southern waters meet warm water from
the southern Pacific tropical current, centres off the northern
coastline, producing high concentrations of plankton that
result in optimum conditions for cultivating oysters.
With New Zealands very small population, nuclear-free
environment and vast distance from our nearest, heavily
populated neighbour, we have an ideal environment for oyster
farming.And so the New Zealand Pacific oyster industry was
established some 30 years ago.
Callum McCallum started in the oyster industry in 1986
6

NZ AQUACULTURE JULY/AUGUST 05

with his first 14ha lease on the Clevedon coast. He built a

small packhouse and started growing Pacific oysters for local
retailers to sell. Much was learnt in those early days about
growing the oysters.
The industry tended to operate on a boom-or-bust
scenario, where it was all go during the harvesting season,
with a long period of quiet downtime. From these early
beginnings, it was quickly recognised that to be successful,
harvesting time had to be extended throughout the year.
The first problem was how to stop all the oysters from
maturing to market size at the same time. Oyster spat was
traditionally caught during January, February and March on
spat sticks laid out on racks positioned in the inter-tidal zone.
We now recognise that the Ministry of Fisheries scientific
view of the water depth for positioning approved leases at

Oysters
for ongrowing

that time was too shallow.And so new farms were developed

in deeper areas of the inter-tidal zone, and older farms had to
reposition their racks to be successful.
The idea is for the oysters to be dry, with a minimum
amount of time for maintenance and harvesting. So the
harvesting season needed to be extended if New Zealand
Pacific oysters were to develop as a primary export species.
The spat problem was overcome by clustering the spat
sticks in bundles with a small 6-8mm gap between them when
gathering spat.
Most of the oyster spat supplying North Island farms comes
from the Kaipara Harbour, as this area is recognised as being
one of the best spat settling areas and produces excellent
quality oysters.
These bundles could then be kept for up to nine months
before they were laid out on the racks, with the oyster
growth being constrained by the space in the bundles and
restricting the nutrient water flow.
This was a major breakthrough, as oyster farmers could
then introduce rotational harvesting and place new spat sticks
throughout the year, thus opening the export market
potential for half-shell oysters. It would also give consistent
all-year employment to both farm and processing staff.
With these new skills on board, Clevedon Coast Oysters
started exporting in 1998. In 2001, a new export factory was
completed on the site.
Another trick learnt was the ability to on-grow smaller
oysters to market size after the main sticks had been

harvested. Previously, up to 50 percent of oysters were below

market size and ended up in the waste heap. Now, with the
development of on-growing baskets, bags and small cages
(professionally known as aqua purses, trays and bags), where
once the oysters were graded into three sub-sizes, they can
be placed back out in the farm to grow and mature to
commercial harvest size in the following few months.
The move has reduced oyster waste to about five percent,
which includes a percentage for oystercatchers and other
wading seabirds that feed on shellfish.
Once the spat sticks are nailed out on the racks, they are
left to grow for 12 months.They are then ready for the first
stage of harvesting.The sticks are lifted and taken to the

Harvesting
oyster bags
containing
ongrown
shellfish

Aquatray &
Aquapurse Systems
Successfully used in diverse sea states
Moulded in UV stablised polymer
Easily handled & cleaned
Lightweight & sturdy

BST Adjustable Longline Oyster Farming System

The success of the longline system is in its
ability to raise and lower oyster bays giving
the farmer control over shell growth and
meat condition allowing oyster management
more efficiently and economically than
traditional methods.

GOUROCK NEW ZEALAND

77B Patiki Road, Avondale

Auckland. Ph 09 820 8600, Fax 09 820 6606, Email marine@gourock.co.nz

VIP.AC06

JULY/AUGUST 05 NZ AQUACULTURE

Checking trays of fattening oysters

ABOVE:
Oyster purses
designed for
ongrowing
small oysters
that would
normally have
been lost in
the past

factory, where the oysters are stripped off the sticks and
passed through a washer.The dead shells are then removed
manually before the live oysters enter a Tasmanian-designed,
computerised oyster grader. It uses a camera to visually look
at each oyster and measure its size in the computer.As the
oyster travels along the belt, an airgun squirts air at it,
shooting it out automatically off the conveyor system into
one of five chutes, depending on the grade.The smaller
oysters are recovered and returned to the farm for further
ongrowing.
All the companys production is aimed at the half-shell
market for both domestic and export oysters. Once they are
graded, they go to the openers, who use a pneumatic oyster
knife to open up to 500 dozen a day.The half-shell oysters are
then washed, packed and either quickly chilled for the chilled
market, or snap-frozen at -40 degrees Celsius in the blast
freezer.
Frozen half-shell oysters can be stored for 18 months at 20 Celsius without losing quality.Airfreighting has proved to
be uneconomical for the chilled market, so as long as the
oysters are kept below -20 you do not get oxidation or
freezer burn, says McCallum, who has recently been
appointed chairman of the Aquaculture Council.So most of
our oysters leave here in freezer containers.
The success of growing oysters on the Clevedon coast is
our clean water, he says.We enjoy good tidal flows from the
Hauraki Gulf, and experience limited urban pollution.
New Zealands water quality exceeds world standards for
aquaculture requirements, and we have locally set stringent
water quality and bio-toxin monitoring programmes to
adhere to, he says.Another benefit of being in a rural area is
that oyster farming and processing is labour intensive and
low-skilled, as every hectare of water space in an oyster farm
creates the equivalent of 1.5 jobs.At present Clevedon Coast
Oysters employs about 35 staff year-round.
Work on the farm is carried out around the tides, with the
racks being exposed for four to five hours a tide.The farm
staff use small, shallow-draft barges to harvest the oysters and
act as a platform for carrying out repairs and maintenance, or
to place out new spat sticks or baskets and racks.
Clevedon Coast also has additional leases totalling some
15ha on Waiheke Island where a lot of the initial ongrowing in
baskets is carried out.This also gives a safety valve if one area
becomes temporarily polluted from boating, urban sewerage
or bio-toxins. Oysters can self-flush very quickly, and they may
be moved to a new area where they will clean themselves
prior to harvesting.
The areas we prefer for farming are normally low-value
mudflats or mangrove areas where oyster farming
complements the local environment, says McCallum.

NZ AQUACULTURE JULY/AUGUST 05

Urban runoff and siltation has caused severe problems with

farms in some areas, particularly in the north, more so when
the local authority cannot control sewage outfalls into prime
water space which is already an aquaculture management area.
This is one of the key problems in Northland, where farms are
lying abandoned and farmers are facing financial ruin.
The ideal farm should be placed at the neap low tide level,
with good water flows and a minimal influence from urban
runoff, says McCallum. Oysters are high in zinc, iodine and
Omega-3, all good quality stuff, he says.
Because of the farm management plan, its harvesting
operation and subsequent ongrowing of small oysters,
Clevedon Coast Oysters was the first to receive the coveted
organic certification classification in March, 2005, along with
Bio-marine in Mahurangi, one of the other partners in their
joint export marketing company, Jemco.
The factory has both European Union and United States
Food and Drug Administration approvals, and operates to
these stringent requirements at all times, even when it is only
producing for the domestic market. Each batch of oysters is
recorded and monitored throughout the process, with
separate batch testing.
To protect the export quality branding of Clevedon Coast
Oysters, or Jemco, the company will not export oysters
during the summer spatfall period. However, because of local
demand for a continuous supply, oysters processed during this
time are marketed under the Summer Harvest brand.While
these oysters taste the same, they may not be as fat.
The farm produces 400,000 dozen half-shell, or 4.8 million
oysters, each year. Most are exported, mainly to Japan,
Europe and Australia, with a limited amount also going to
the United States.
Clevedon Coast Oysters says it remains committed to
providing enough supplies to satisfy local demand, as the
market is buoyant and still growing.
Our oyster farming industry has the potential to grow to a
level where it is no longer the poor cousin to mussels, says
McCallum.If only the government and local authorities can
sort out the aquaculture management areas to allow the
industry to develop.
Aquaculture exports are made up of 60 percent mussels, 30
percent salmon and 10 percent oysters, and currently earn
around $360 million annually.But this could be as high as $1
billion by 2020 if we established aquaculture management
areas.These areas need to be in harmony with other marine
users, like fishermen, and recreational users.
The biggest obstacle to developing aquaculture management
areas is the Resource Management Act, and of course locals
suffering from a severe case of the Not In My Back Yard, or
NIMBY syndrome.All too often, the industry is seeing

Oysters are washed and

sorted before being loaded
on to the grading machine

The high-tech grading

machine remains a key
feature of the farms success

and not so expensive.

There was a strong feeling in the aquaculture industry that
aquaculture should have its own minister, similar to every
other developed country where aquaculture was a primary
food-growing source.This minister could be outside of
Cabinet, but if they were dedicated to promoting and
developing the aquaculture industry for the benefit of all New
Zealanders, then this government, would, for the first time, be
showing some sound leadership to the industry.The act made
no provision for experimental farms or ocean ranching, or
natural coastline farming. Instead, it restricted the potential
for this industry to grow, he said.
After reviewing the farming and processing operations at
Clevedon Coast Oysters, we remain convinced that if the rest
of New Zealands oyster farming industry is managed and
operated in a similar manner, this industry, with a bit of
leadership from the government, could grow into one of New
Zealands leading primary seafood producers for both
local consumption and export returns.

ABOVE:
The oyster
openers can
process up to
500 dozen
oysters
per day

ac

VIP.AC06

objections to aquaculture farm applications quoting visual

aspects or other vague reasons, when in fact these objectors
live miles away or cannot see the proposed farm site, he says.
Internationally, the aquaculture industry is growing at an
annual compound rate of 15 percent, and it now has the
biggest growth in primary production in the world.
Unfortunately, the new Aquaculture Management Act cannot
deliver to the industry or the people of New Zealand
because of the high cost of going through the RMA process.
Even regional councils are questioning whether they can
afford to spend valuable ratepayers money to create
aquaculture management areas in their coastal
management plans.
The AMA process is both cumbersome and expensive, and
one can fully understand why many aquaculture farming
participants are taking their skills offshore to Australia.
The industry recognises that we are using public
water space, and there need to be safeguards, McCallum
says. But the process should be more flexible, transparent

JULY/AUGUST 05 NZ AQUACULTURE

NATIVE FISH FEAST on exotic carp

BY DR TAGRIED KURWIE AND DAVID COOPER OF THE
MAHURANGI TECHNICAL INSTITUTE. PHOTOGRAPHS BY KIM PIERCE

rp
Baby grass ca

n an ironic twist of fate, many of the native fish in the

collection at the Mahurangi Technical Institute in
Warkworth, north of Auckland, had a feast during the
summer of young grass carp.
Exotic species of freshwater fish, (although even more
ironically, not grass carp), are often implicated in adversely
affecting populations of native fish. In this case it appears

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VIP.AC06

10

NZ AQUACULTURE JULY/AUGUST 05

that the natives have had some revenge.

The institute breeds grass carp, Ctenopharyngodon
idella, under contract for a commercial client. In midJanuary a batch was being produced and pressure-treated
to induce triploidy. This process makes the resulting fish
sterile. Even though it is widely accepted that grass carp
will not breed in New Zealand naturally, some batches of
fish are still produced as triploid fish for special projects
and export.
A part of this process involves putting some fertilised eggs
aside and not subjecting them to the pressure treatment.
These are the control ova, and they are hatched in order to
compare them to the hatch rate achieved in the pressuretreated batch of eggs and assess what affect the treatment
has had on the hatch rate.
Of course once these baby fish are hatched they are
surplus to requirements, and they are normally destroyed in
order to prevent them from becoming accidentally mixed
with the triploid fish. On this occasion it was decided to
feed them out to some of the native fish that are kept at the
institute as research animals, teaching aids and potential
future brood stock.
Well... talk about Christmas dinner. In a flurry of fins and
flashing tails the several thousand grass carp fry disappeared
in mere seconds. Not one reached the bottom of the
aquaria and the natives needed no more food for days!
There has to be a horror movie, or at least a country and
western song in there somewhere. Perhaps The Revenge of
the Inanga, or My Grass Carp Got Eaten by a Bully and My
Horse Dont Love Me No More!
In fact the whole lot was scoffed down so fast that it has
been suggested that the dwarf inanga, Galaxias gracilis, be
renamed the small brown shark (as opposed to the great
white shark), and known to science as Galaxias
grasscarpconsumis.
So it would appear that at least some exotic species of
fish, in some circumstances, are good for our native
fish. At least these native fish thought so!

ac

NEW ZEALAND NATIVE

freshwater fish in aquaculture

BY DAVID COOPER

ver recent years there has been an upsurge in

interest in New Zealand native freshwater fish as
potential aquaculture species.There have been
sporadic attempts in the past to produce whitebait, but the
latest burst of interest has been fuelled by their ornamental
and conservation potential.
Keen aquarium hobbyists have kept freshwater natives for
many years, but the activity was limited to those who were
enthusiastic enough to catch their own or who knew
somebody who did.This all changed in 2002, when a Napier
company, Hawkes Bay Aquaculture, (whose core business is
breeding seahorses) and the author, began supplying inanga,
Galaxias maculatus, to the domestic aquarium trade.
These fish have proved to be very popular as an aquarium or
garden pond fish.They have been joined on the ornamental fish
market by small numbers of banded kokopu, Galaxias fasciatus,
which where also well recieved.
However, the real potential in native fish for the ornamental
market lies in the bullies, Gobiomorphus spp. and the
torrentfish, Cheimarichthys fosteri. Strong interest exists in
these species, both in New Zealand and internationally, but
progress on their production has been hindered because they
are not on the approved list as aquaculture species and so
cannot legally be sold.This of course is a strong disincentive to
anybody considering farming them! Application has been made
to have these and other species approved, but as we all know,
the wheels of regulation turn slowly.
Mahurangi Technical Institute in Warkworth, which teaches
aquaculture as part of its Diploma in Marine Technology course
and runs an extensive fish breeding programme, is approaching
the production of freshwater native fish from another angle.
The institute is producing a number of native fish for use in
reseeding depleted habitats and also with a view to using them
as mosquito control agents in farm and lifestyle block ponds.
In conjunction with Charles Mitchell, a fish farmer based in
Raglan, MTI has contracted to supply giant kokopu, Galaxias
argenteus, for a trial reseeding project that will form the basis
of a study to decide the feasibility of such activities.This of
course is a fairly common activity in other countries, but then
we are in New Zealand, where everything seems to be 10
times as hard as anywhere else!
MTI sees the real potential of captive-bred native fish as being
in the role of insect control.There are thousands of lifestyle
blocks with large ponds or small, man-made lakes scattered
throughout New Zealand, and more are being dug all the time,
not to mention all the ponds in council parks and so on.
Mosquitoes will grow in all of these ponds and lakes. People
do not like mosquitoes, and so they look for something to put
in the ponds to eat them.At present this usually means
goldfish (boring, not very good at mossie control, and owners

FAR LEFT:
Common bully
LEFT:
Giant kokopu

ABOVE:
Torrent fish
RIGHT:
Red fin bully

need a permit to transfer them) or mosquitofish, Gambusia

affinis. Mosquitofish are of course a pest fish and have been
classed as an unwanted organism.Whats a person to do?
At present they usually just put mosquitofish in completely
illegally, as there are few other options.This helps the spread
of theses pests, and quite frankly they do not need any help.
MTI is currently breeding and refining a technique for a
number of different species of native freshwater fish for this
purpose. How great would it be if, instead of using a pest,
ponds could be kept free of mosquitoes by a contained
population of, say, dwarf inanga, Galaxias gracilis? The bugs
would be kept at bay, and a threatened native fish would have
another population.
There are a couple of issues surrounding this proposed activity,
of course.The first is the need to get a permit to transfer aquatic
life before introducing fish.The process at present requires an
environmental impact report, consultation with every man and
his dog and a total cost of thousands of dollars.
This process will have to be refined and simplified. Nobody
is suggesting an unregulated process, but at the moment most
people will take one look at the requirements and say,Bugger
that, and we are back to the illegal use of pest fish!
The other issue is that of regional sourcing of broodstock in
order to maintain possibly distinct regional populations.This
will be of greatest importance with those non-diadromous
species, but good practice in most instances.
So, there is great potential for the production of New Zealand
native freshwater fish, but there are also many obstacles to
overcome.Thats aquaculture all over though really, isnt it?
If you have an interest in New Zealand native freshwater
fish, please contact the author on 09 425 8493 or email
david@mti.net.nz

ac

Photographs by Clinton McCullough

except the red fin bully, which is by Mike Harvey

JULY/AUGUST 05 NZ AQUACULTURE

11

Scientist started

MAJOR AQUACULTURE PARK

BY KEITH INGRAM

n this issue we bid farewell to Dr Simon Hooker PhD, Grad

Dip Bus Admin, the former business development manager
for aquaculture and marine ecology with the National
Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research.
As you read this, Simon will have left our shores for his wifes
homeland, Sweden, where they will settle in Malmo.The move will
mean that Simon will leave aquaculture and move into high-tech
product development with his wifes family business.
Simon started with NIWA in 1997. He came from his own private
company, Blue Oceans Ltd, and was given the responsibility of
developing aquaculture into a business unit at NIWA.
His initial change was to move the emphasis of service from
doing science to working more closely with the growing
aquaculture industry in New Zealand. One of his first moves was
to apply to the Force Foundation for a grant to develop kingfish
research.The foundation liked the proposal, and started serious
funding from mid-1998.
As a representative of NIWA, he teamed up with Dave Shields
of Moana Pacific Fisheries, and early research started at Moanas

ALGAE TECHNICIAN

Bream Bay Aquaculture Park, Ruakaka

This position is responsible for producing algae for NIWA
and on site industry partners. Also this position will provide
technical support to various NIWA projects at the Bream
Bay site including brood stock maintenance, larval rearing,
operation of recircultation systems and when required, assist
with the over-all running of the site.
We are looking for someone preferably with a tertiary
qualification in biology or aquaculture with practical
experience in culturing feeds on a commercial scale for
algal, rotifer and brine shrimp culture. Experience with
laboratory procedures in relation to live food production is
essential as is good computer literacy, the ability to use
word processing, spreadsheet, statistics and other
application packages. You must be able to work at times
under the pressure of deadlines and have a flexible,
proactive approach to work.
If you are interested in the position
further information and online application forms
can be found at www.niwa.co.nz/about/jobs/
A P P L I C AT I O N S C L O S E O N 4 J U L Y 2 0 0 5 .

12

NZ AQUACULTURE JULY/AUGUST 05

VIP.AC06

snapper hatchery on Pah Farm,

Kawau Island.The site proved to be
too small for commercial
development, and Simon was soon
looking for a more suitable site
north of Auckland, as the warmer
waters were essential for developing
kingfish farming opportunities.
There were a lot of good sites in
Simon
Hooker
the north, but they lacked suitable
infrastructure of power and roads. One day, when returning from
an exploratory trip, on a hunch he followed the power line from
the highway south of Whangarei to the Marsden A and B power
station, which was lying idle.
He picked up the telephone at the security gate and contacted
the site manager of Mighty River Power, Gary Pile.After an initial
discussion, Gary showed Simon around the site, which only
confirmed its huge potential as a base for aquaculture science.
It had roads, a town water supply and an excellent power
supply. It was fenced, with good security, and had numerous
buildings, including offices and workshops. Most importantly,
several large seawater intakes were still operating.The place was
a ghost town but the buildings were all solid.
Over the next six to eight months, Simon negotiated the use
of the site and secured a long-term lease from Mighty River
Power. In 2000 he put together a business plan and started
building the Bream Bay Aquaculture Park in 2001.
The first task was to employ a skilled hatchery manager from
the United Kingdom and an assistant manager from Australia.The
then Minister of Fisheries, Pete Hodgson, officially opened the
site in April, 2002.
This was all achieved with capital funding from NIWA.And it
was about this time that the government put the moratorium on
aquaculture that was to ultimately slow down growth in this
developing industry.
While kingfish was the initial focus, the aquaculture unit of
NIWA continued developing mussels, oysters and paua, in
association with industry sector companies.
Bream Bay has a good future, and the industry is a very
supportive investor in the complex and further species
development, which includes not only kingfish but also shortfinned eels, groper, yellow belly flounder and further south, kina in
Mahanga Bay and salmon at the Silversteam complex in
Canterbury.
While Simon says he is sad to be leaving NIWA, he believes
that he leaves the aquaculture division in good heart, with the
respect from industry gained through proven partnerships to
achieve sound commercial outcomes.
When we questioned Simon on the future of aquaculture in
New Zealand and the new Aquaculture Act, he expressed some

reservations.The new act fails to give certainty and makes it

extremely hard to get water space or change species, he said.
The act places responsibility for aquaculture management area
on local authorities, but they are starting to renege on this
delegated authority, as they cannot justify the huge costs
associated with putting AMAs through the Resource
Management Act process.
Kingfish is sitting ready to go as a commercial venture. It can
produce economical prime fish fillets for the local fish and chip
trade, restaurants and export markets, he says.
Other species, such as sea urchins, groper, rock lobster, yellow
belly flounder and grey mullet are hovering in the wings, but for
these to succeed we need to change the coastal plans, which is
nearly impossible under the current legislation.
The act is so prescriptive that farmers cannot even change
their farming methods for different species, he says.For
example, you cannot put sea cages into an area that has been
approved for farming mussels, or vice versa.
Simon says the act needs to be amended to make it relatively
simple to change species or to acquire water space suitable for
aquaculture. The aquaculture industry is a prime sitter for Maori
development, especially now that tribes will shortly receive
monies derived from the Treaty of Waitangi Fisheries Settlement,
he said.Aquaculture by its nature has high employment
opportunities in the predominantly low-skilled areas.
Unfortunately, there are no opportunities for innovation or
entrepreneurial investment in developing aquaculture
opportunities by either Maori or the industry at large.

We can now spawn and breed kingfish from an egg to a marketsized product.This ability to farm kingfish for sale, in particular to
the fish and chip trade, is being constrained by the lack of
aquaculture water space suitable for sea cages. Once again, the
constraints in developing suitable AMAs rests with the problems
associated with the Resource Management Act, he said.
Because of the current constraints, we are unlikely to see
further development of kingfish farming using sea cages, which is
the most efficient means of production until the act is changed.
This means that the only option to grow kingfish is in a landbased facility such as the kingfish farm at Parengarenga which
opened recently (see issue three).
Land-based farming has yet to be proven, because it has the
potential to be high-risk, he said.The task of pumping seawater
was much more chemically complex, creating a higher risk factor
because of the corrosive effect of heat, turbulence, stagnation and
filtration, where it was harder to maintain good water quality. It
could be done, but many factors had to be considered and
allowed for.
Im not saying that the Northland kingfish farmers are doing
things wrong.The system is creating more obstacles than
opportunities. It is unfortunate that we have some of the best
nutrient-enriched waters in the world for aquaculture, and yet
we have so many obstacles to overcome.
As we bid farewell to Simon Hooker, on behalf of this magazine
and the wider aquaculture industry in New Zealand, we would
like to thank him for his contribution to the industry, and
wish him well.

ac

VIP.AC04

JULY/AUGUST 05 NZ AQUACULTURE

13

NEW PRODUCTS

SPECIAL COVER KEEPS SHELLFISH COOL

NEWS
CONTINUED
FROM
PAGE 4

Covertex has introduced a special tarpaulin for mussel farmers

and others in the aquaculture industry who require a cover
that will not attract or retain heat.
Skipper Alan Barker of the mussel company Musscon Ltd
said it was a two-hour trip from Waiheke Island to the
refrigerated trucks on the Coromandel Peninsula. Some of
the mussels on the top of the bags were exposed for up
to six hours, and were drying and opening in summer
heat. We had to find a way to keep the temperature
down, he said.
Musscon contacted Covertex, which produced the thermal
cover within about 10 days. Matthew Bouzaid of Covertex said
the company had a similar product for wrapping individual

tuna, and the cover applied the same technology.

The result is a triple-layered tarpaulin
measuring 6m x 3.5m, with a layer of insulating
foil welded in the middle.The covers are
coloured grey to help reflect heat, and has eyelets
along the sides make it easy to lash down over
the mussel trays.This provides the windbreak,
with the insulating foil preventing the heat
attraction experienced with normal tarpaulins.
This is a customised product, so we can make
the tarpaulins to the size required by the client, says Matthew.
The difference between the thermal cover and an ordinary
tarpaulin, according to Alan, is simply phenomenal.You can
put your hand in the top of the bag five hours after it was
loaded on board and the mussels feel like they have just come
out of the water.
Alan says the covers are heavy to handle and catch the wind,
but one person can manage them as long as they are folded
up.Its only about 10 minutes extra work.
And the added benefits, particularly during the summer, far
outweigh the disadvantages.Its all about better quality
control.Were always looking for ways to make our
product the best possible.

FUNDS WILL HELP

STRATEGIC GROWTH
The Ministry of Economic Developments decision to provide
funding to support sustainable growth and development of
New Zealands aquaculture industry is a welcome move, says
the chairman of the New Zealand Aquaculture Council, Callum
McCallum.
Were really pleased with the Minister, Jim Andertons
confirmation of Initiatives Fund support, McCallum said on May
30.Aquaculture is set to be a key growth area within New
Zealands seafood sector, and we are grateful to the minister for
his foresight. Its a strong sign of support for the industry.
Aquaculture was the fastest growing sector in the seafood
industry, and the industry needed to be able to maximise its
future growth. New Zealand is a coastal nation, but with a high
dollar and limited access to growing waters weve seen
declining profitability for some marine farmers. Changes in

legislation can bring both new opportunities and difficulties for

the aquaculture industry.
The funds will help to prepare an aquaculture sector
strategy which will see the industry working with
communities, Maori, recreational and fishing interests, regional
councils and the Government to minimise barriers and seek
innovative opportunities.
The strategy has two goals:
Maximising value from existing space, which means being
market driven, looking for new products, getting the best
value from existing farms, adding value, highlighting New
Zealand aquacultures point of difference, ie quality, reducing
costs and minimising barriers to growth.
Developing new space, which involves building stronger
alliances with new participants, integration with Maori
aspirations, regional councils, the Government, fishers and
the public.

ac

Insulated Thermal Covers

Customised product completed to client requirements
Reflect heat and insulate fish or shellfish products
Improves quality control
VIP.AC06

23 Westhaven Drive, PO Box 90 191 AMC, Auckland, New Zealand

Ph: 09-308 9109 Fax: 09-303 0245 Email: sales@covertex.co.nz Website: www.covertex.co.nz
14

NZ AQUACULTURE JULY/AUGUST 05

TREATMENT FOR
A WIDE VARIETY
OF WATER

ood water quality plays a vital role in the success of

aquaculture projects. But extra processing is almost
always required.
The water treatment company Contamination Control Technologies
Ltd can provide a wide range of this equipment for the aquaculture
industry, says general manager Steve Warne. It works closely with
clients to ensure the equipment exactly meets their needs, whatever
type of aquaculture they are involved in.That could range from a small
aquarium operator to a research centre or a large mussel farm.
The company treats water from the sea, lakes, streams, bores, races
or rain. Common applications include the removal of sediment, cysts,
iron, manganese, nitrates and lime.Disinfection is our speciality, for
which we supply UV, ozone and chlorination systems. The various
water treatment processes it offers can be used as standalone systems
or in combination to treat a wide variety of water.The range includes
pressure media, cartridge and self-cleaning filter systems. CCL can also
supply hypochlorite, MIOX mixed oxidant and ozone generators for
water disinfection.
Steve says CCL is set up to respond to what clients want.We are
driven by our clients enquiries.We have everything to ensure clients
can monitor their systems carefully, he says.
The company deals with manufacturers from as far away as the
United States or the United Kingdom who can provide products such
as UV lamps to the standard it requires.We also make or assemble a
lot ourselves, and can customise to a clients requirements, he says.
A recent New Zealand project included a sizeable UV treatment unit
for a large paua project.UV is fairly simple to operate, as long as you
know what youre doing and it has been properly sized by the vendor.
The company also provided a chlorine unit for a prawn farm in New
Caledonia.The unit makes a chlorine solution from salt, avoiding
potential problems with handling the chemical in a hazardous gas form.
CCL is the New Zealand distributor for Palintest water testing kits,
which processors use widely for monitoring pH, chlorine, nitrates,
nitrites and ammonia.
CCL has been operating for over 30 years. Its head office is in
Mt Wellington,Auckland, with branches in Wellington,Tauranga,
Christchurch and North Shore City.The company employs over
60 staff.

ac

VIP.AC01

VIP.AC06

JULY/AUGUST 05 NZ AQUACULTURE

15

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