Job and investment opportunities likely from aquaculture

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JOB CREATION: The aquaculture industry sees strong job creation opportunities if it's allowed to grow again.

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Major expansion of the stalled aquaculture industry could see the creation of thousands of jobs, according to industry body Aquaculture NZ.

Aquaculture NZ chief executive Mike Burrell, a member of the Government's technical advisory group, says the industry now employs about 4000 people.

If the industry reached its target of $1 billion in annual sales, "reasonably conservative estimates'' suggest this number could double, Burrell maintains.

Fisheries Minister Phil Heatley also points to job creation opportunities if the industry can be restarted. 

"The jobs that could be made available with substantial growth are all in the provinces, which is exactly the part of New Zealand that needs work  employment and an economic lift,'' Heatley says.

Major aquaculture areas include Marlborough, Coromandel, Tasman and Golden Bay. Heatley says, however, that more areas could be opened up to aquaculture if investors get the courage to try new species and new technologies.

Given New Zealanders' love of all water activities such as boating, fishing and diving, he notes there will always be tension over the use of coastal waters.

"But I'm convinced with the size of the seascape we've got around the coast, there's room for everyone and there's certainly room for more marine farming.''

Aquaculture NZ estimates marine farms occupy only 0.02 per cent of the coastline, using 15,800 hectares of water. About 66 per cent, or $265 million of aquaculture's $360m annual sales are made overseas. The key products are greenshell mussels, king salmon and Pacific oysters, with major export markets the United States, South Korea, Australia and Japan.

Burrell says there is huge potential in the three key farmed species with about half of the $1 billion sales target likely to come from them. Other species the industry is developing include flat oysters, kingfish, hapuka and butterfish.

"You're not really after a huge number of species,'' he says. "You're after a few that work really well for the New Zealand environment.''

Government enthusiasm for the industry should introduce certainty and attract investment, Burrell says.

- © Fairfax NZ News