Open-sea mussel farm gets approval

GO AHEAD: The MoF has given an experimental mussell farm the green light

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A huge, open-sea "experimental" mussel farm off the coast of Canterbury has been given the green light.

It is expected to create 200 jobs, mainly in Christchurch.

The Ministry of Fisheries' approval is the culmination of 10 years of research and consultation by the joint- venture companies Ngai Tahu Fisheries, Marlborough Mussel Company, owned by Dunedin's Skeggs family, and Pegasus Bay Aquaculture.

The ministry yesterday announced approval for 10 marine farms in the South Island, including the 2695-hectare Pegasus Bay mussel farm 14 kilometres offshore from Woodend.

Approval has also been given for a 424ha mussel farm in Clifford Bay on Marlborough's east coast, 700 metres offshore.

The eight other marine farms are mostly extensions to Marlborough Sounds mussel farms.

The Government yesterday also signalled reform of aquaculture legislation that could open the door to farming of fin fish and other seafood.

Marlborough Mussel spokesman Merv Whipp said the aquaculture law changes were "good news" for the industry.

Marlborough Mussel will set up and run the Pegasus Bay mussel farm for the joint venture.

The Pegasus Bay marine farm would be the first at sea, and the second largest in New Zealand, Whipp said.

Such mussel farming was "experimental" in New Zealand, where mussels were typically grown in sheltered waters such as the Marlborough Sounds, he said.

The development would be "a pretty big learning curve".

Managers would have to assess the right underwater level to maintain the mussel lines.

Coastal swells and sea rolling could "knock off" seeding mussels.

Project consent conditions required reflectors and other devices to ensure the farm could be seen at sea. The Pegasus Bay farm would comprise four 515ha blocks, with 500-metre wide "fairways" between each block for boat traffic.

Research would continue under the conditions of the resource consent over the next year, and would be completed before any mussel lines were placed in the water.

The farm would be established in the next three to five years, and should produce 6000 tonnes of mussels a year.

The mussels would be processed at the Skeggs family's Pacifica Seafoods factory in Christchurch, the site of most of the 200 new jobs.

However, Clifford Bay Marine Farms chairman Sir Tipene O'Regan did not regard mussel farming at sea as experimental.

O'Regan, who was critical of the previous government's moratorium on aquaculture, said that South Australia had forged ahead with open-water marine farming, while New Zealand waters had been "closed down".

The recent aquaculture taskforce report to Government had recommended allowing marine farming for more species.

Fisheries Minister Phil Heatley said yesterday the Government would consider submissions on the aquaculture report before putting recommended law changes before Cabinet next year.

Heatley said aquaculture had huge potential to generate economic growth.

If the aquaculture industry was going to achieve its $1 billion sales target by 2025, it needed "more space more quickly", he said.

- © Fairfax NZ News