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LETTERS Salmon chief executive Grant Rosewarne commented that NIWA was chosen "as the best and most efficient provider of the new work." The contract was signed after an open tendering process. The Cawthron Institute will continue to monitor existing farms with research based around seabed health and compliance with resource consent conditions. The EPA decision to approve four of nine farms applied for by King Salmon requires two years of prior monitoring – the time it takes for hatchlings to grow big enough to farm. Once fish were introduced any changes could be compared with this "baseline" data, said NIWA Nelson regional manager Ken Grange. Water quality, temperature and clarity, as well as freshwater-seawater layering and plankton species would be recorded. The seabed would also be mapped, highlighting seafood gathering grounds and other sensitive habitats. NIWA has worked previously for King Salmon and has also modelled conditions in Queen Charlotte Sound for the Marlborough District Council. OYSTER PRESIDENT STEPS DOWN After 20 years as New Zealand Oyster Industry Association president, Callum McCallum has stood Callum McCallum down. Callum has led the oyster industry response to biosecurity, food safety and regulatory challenges including the implementation of the Government's biotoxin management programme, significant evolution of the bivalve molluscan shellfish safety standards, the gymnodinium catenatum cyst programme and the OsHV-1 outbreak. He also served as an Aquaculture New Zealand and Seafood Industry council director and as the Aquaculture Council chair. Callum officially stood down from the post at the NZOIA conference in August where he was awarded the Joe Francis Memorial trophy for outstanding service to the Association. He was replaced by NZOIA executive member Jim Dollimore of Bio Marine. His role as the Aquaculture New Zealand oyster director has been taken up by Don Collier of Pacific Marine Farms. Don Collier (vice president), Ben Haig, Nat Upchurch and Ben Warren were joined by Andy Elliot of Kono and Jacquie Reed of Cawthron Institute who were appointed to the executive during the conference. SUCCESSFUL SPAWNING IN PHILIPPINES The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Region IV-A has succeeded in the natural spawning of silver pompano at the Multi-species Finfish Hatchery in Unisan, Quezon, Philippines. The process has taken time, beginning in 2005 when manager Hannibal Chavez initiated the investigation into its viability. Chavez completed successful research projects: 'Effect of Stocking Density on Growth Performance, Survival and Production of Silver Pompano in Marine Floating Cages' and 'Broodstock Development of Pompano and Snapper in Cages' in 2012. The successful spawning project used the 200 pieces of marketable size set aside from the research conducted in 2007 and another 200 pieces from the techno-demo project conducted in 2008. The feeds used were reformulated and enhanced with vitamins CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 COMPLIANCE FOR KING SALMON? In April Cawthron Institute reports suggested that King Salmon's Te Pangu farm in Tory Channel was not complying with resource consent and had highly impacted the seabed. In August Marlborough District Council compliance manager Garth Congdon was to inform the council environment committee whether New Zealand King Salmon's existing farms comply. According to the impartial Cawthron report, the farm may be fully stocked and 300 tonnes more feed that consent conditions allowed had been fed to fish in the 12 months prior to monitoring. King Salmon claimed that in the company's interpretation of some of the results differed. King Salmon chief executive Grant Rosewarne was asked whether the company had made changes as a result of the Cawthron findings and responded that there had been a move to bio-secure production, particularly in Pelorus Sound. Age classes of fish were run separately at different farms, arrived and left together, and farms were fallowed for three months before a new age class was introduced so any bacteria, fungi or algae that might be on fish were not passed on. Rosewarne added that the approach would be extended across all sites as and when new space became available. ALARM BELLS OVER ENDOSULFAN Dear Sir As always I have read the latest issue of Professional Skipper and New Zealand Aquaculture cover to cover. I picked up something in the article 'A Case Study: Seed nursing by fish farmers of Udaipur, South India'. In the article, it talked about pond preparation and mentioned poisoning the ponds with Endosulfan, harvesting the dead fish and selling them at the market. Alarm bells rang, so I googled Endosulfan and read some terrible facts and saw some horrible images about the chemical and its effects on humans. It reminds me of the efforts of herbicide sales reps selling the idea of spraying our pastures with Roundup three days before harvesting the grass for silage. Apparently, it raises the sugar content of grass and speeds up the process of sowing a new crop. My reply to the reps is: Would you spray your lettuce with Roundup three days before picking them to make them sweeter? I guess my point is that these poor farmers have been influenced by chemical reps from companies that have no regard for their fellow man, but have a huge regard for profits at any cost. I invite you to google Endosulfan, it makes interesting reading. Keep up the good work. Craig Staunton ENDOSULFAN RESPONSE Vikash Kumar, co-author of July/August article 'A Case Study: Seed nursing by farmers of Udaipur, India' has sent a few words in response to Criag Staunton's letter… As the fish farmers belong to rural areas most of them are devoid of proper scientific knowledge regarding the use of the chemical and its impacts on human health. Therefore, they are easily influenced by marketing peoples because of the immediate tangible result of the chemical in killing the weed fishes. They use several chemicals like Clinar and Endosulfan to kill the weed fishes before stocking the fish seed for nursing purpose. So, in this regard they need a proper guidance from NGOs and government organisation to use alternate herbicide instead of chemicals like Mahua oil cake. Vikash Kumar, Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Mumbai, India. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 ■ NZ AQUACULTURE ■ 5