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integrity - respect - constructive relationships - achieving results - continual improvement 
Reeling in all the news you need to know
Reeling in all the news you need to know
ovember 7, 2007
November 7, 2007
GO FISH
GO FISH
Last Saturday the frigate
ex-HMNZS Canterbury-Waitaha F421
wasscuttled at Manawahuna Cove inthe Bay of Islands and will nowbecome an arti
fi
cial reef that willserve several purposes for localhapu, community and wider usersof the marine environment.The scuttling was the
fi
rst movein implementation of 
fi
sheriesplans for Ngati Kuta and Patukehahapu from Te Rawhiti in the Bayof Islands.The Canterbury-Waitaha reef willserve as a source of kaimoana for customary use, a dive attractionand a location for research projectsin Manawahuna.The reef will also be used topromote environmental manage-ment and it is hoped divers and
fi
shermen will support the eventualsurrounding of the sunken frigatewith a mahinga m
ā
taitai (seafoodgathering area).Aims of the mahinga m
ā
taitaiwill be to provide protection for cray
fi
sh, oyster, t
ā
heke, snapper,
fl
ora and fauna and reseeding of scallops.Over time a measure of kina controlis also expected to be exerted bylarge individuals of these species.The area was traditionally usedby Ngati Kuta and Patukeha for mahinga m
ā
taitai but certainspecies have been depleted andkina barrens are now proli
fi
c inManawahuna.Work on the plan started in responseto a rohe moana proposal mooted in2001.Ngati Kuta submitters argued for ahapu-oriented plan to be developedinitially. First drafts were completedby Ngati Kuta hapu member NatashaClarke then further developed byhapu members.Pou Takawaenga Tracey Kingi andPou Hononga George Riley havebeen leading the MFish effortalongside Ngati Kuta and Patukeha.The ceremony was attended byFisheries Operations NationalManager Jonathan Peacey, MFishstaff, local hapu and communitymembers and New Zealand
Frigate scuttling - positive impacts for local community
Above: The frigate being scuttled at Manawahuna Cove
Returned and Services’ Associationmembers who had a connectionwith the frigate when it was basedin Malaysia.Pou Takawaenga Tracey Kingi saidit was a beautiful day and the hapuwere immensely proud of the effortsthat had gone into organising theevent.MFish has been working closelywith both hapu for more than twoyears to implement their rohe moanamanagement plan and theCanterbury scuttling is anopportunity to grow kaimoana andoffer economic opportunities for hapu and the wider community.
 
integrity - respect - constructive relationships - achieving results - continual improvement During my visits to land-based
fi
sh farms, I am alwaysimpressed with the level of kiwi ingenuity that goesinto the operation of these farms; Pieter and CoreenWilhelmus of Ormond Aquaculture are no exception.They run a
fi
sh farm in the Wairau Valley, Marlborough,where they farm chinook salmon and koura (northernspecies).Not only have they designed and produced a lot of theequipment used on their farm, the Wilhelmus’s alsoprepare their own feeds for the salmon and koura andeven produce their own bio-fuels using old oil from localfood outlets.
Senior policy analyst Jonathan Rudge,
fi
sheries adviser 
 Katrina Bonnington and I recently visited this farmto see
fi
rst-hand how koura farms operate.The economics of koura farming is perceived as marginalas koura are slow-growing and cannibalistic. However,with some ingenuity, Pieter and Coreen are showingthat koura farming has an exciting future; so much sothat in their view, it is better than farming salmon.It has taken some effort, but they report achievingproduction rates of three tonne per hectare, which isclose to that achieved on Australian cray
fi
sh farms.Through a combination of optimum stocking rates, pondand tank designs and husbandry, cannibalism is almostnon-existent.Pieter gets $66 per kg after costs, and his markets aremainly up-market restaurants in the major cities. Somekoura are even sold in pet shops where they fetch $80each!Ormond Aquaculture receives frequent enquiries fromoverseas buyers, but at this stage, it is not in a positionto supply a huge export demand.It is fair to say Ormond Aquaculture is a pioneer infarming koura and is now looking at developing a redand blue strain of koura.Pieter is also helping other koura farmers set up their farms and, with the assistance of Massey University,he is planning to undertake research to produce kouramore suited to
fi
sh farming.There’s still a lot of work to do to get koura farminggoing in a big way (not the least of which is the redtape), but I have no doubt koura farming has apromising future.
A promising future for koura farming?
Fisheries Analyst Steve Pullan provides a low-down onthe up-and-coming industry of koura farming.
Katrina and Jonathan listen to Pieter’s ideas on farming koura.Female koura with young attached to the tail. These are held inbattery cages (background) so the young are separated fromthe adults when they detach.Three year old koura ready for marketPond containing broodstock koura, it’s divided to segregate thesexes so they put on growth rather than chase each other!
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