Government pledges up to $6 million for New Zealand mussel hatchery

Published Mar 25, 2022

Tridge summary

The Eastern Bay of Plenty iwi, Te Whānau-ā-Apanui, is set to receive investment from the new Regional Strategic Partnership Fund to develop a hatchery and research hub near Te Kaha. The project aims to accelerate the aquaculture industry in the Bay of Plenty, reducing the country's reliance on wild spat and enhancing the industry's supply chain and sustainability. The investment is also seen as a means to empower Māori to grow aquaculture in Aotearoa and improve Māori prosperity. The government plans to invest up to $6 million, with additional investment from iwi, hapu, and other investors. The goal is to establish up to five new hatcheries to achieve the Government’s Aquaculture Strategy of $3 billion in annual sales by 2035.

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Original content

Eastern Bay of Plenty iwi Te Whānau-ā-Apanui will receive investment from the new Regional Strategic Partnership Fund (RSPF) so it can develop a hatchery and research hub near Te Kaha. Accelerating the aquaculture industry has been identified as one of the priorities for economic growth in the Bay of Plenty. “Having a reliable source of quality hatchery spat is an important step in helping the nation’s aquaculture industry be more resilient, improving its supply chain and securing its long-term sustainability,” said Economic and Regional Development Minister, Stuart Nash, in a press release. “The new hatchery will significantly decrease New Zealand’s reliance on mussel spat – or larvae – sourced from the wild. This wild-sourced spat is unreliable in terms of quantity and quality compared to spat bred in a hatchery,” he added. “Despite this clear quality difference, more than 80 percent of the industry currently relies on spat caught in the wild, and it cannot guarantee sufficient ...

Source: Thefishsite