July 22, 2010

New Zealand to reform aquaculture rules

The New Zealand's government is on track to set new regulations for the aquaculture industry that will deal with the backlog of applications, Fisheries Minister Phil Heatley said.

More than 60 applications covering 8,000 hectares were waiting for decisions, he said today (Jul 22).

"We want these applications to progress. This reform will effectively free up the bottleneck that has kept industry growth in limbo for many years," he said.

The government's aim is to help the industry reach its goal of NZ$1 billion (US$0.71 billion) annual sales by 2025 - a threefold increase on current sales.

Heatley said that in the past the industry had been stifled by inflexible rules that discouraged investment.

The government also proposes changing two regional coastal plans it considers are significant barriers to aquaculture growth - Tasman and Waikato - through an Aquaculture Reform Bill.

The proposed changes would allow finfish farming applications to be made as long as environmental standards were met, Heatley said.

"The government recognises that while legislative change will provide the framework within which aquaculture can grow, it will primarily be decisions made at a regional level that determine the nature and pace of growth," he said.

"Hence, funding for the first five years of the new regime will be set aside to support regional councils with the implementation of these reforms," he added.

Heatley expects the Aquaculture Reform Bill to be introduced later this year and enacted early next year.