The only specialised marine publication in Oceania that focuses on the maritime industry, from super yachts to small craft to large commercial ships, including coastal shipping, tugs, tow boats, barges, ferries, tourist, sport-fishing craft
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EDITORIAL Secrecy clouds INVESTMENT N BY KEITH INGRAM ew Zealand Aquaculture magazine clearly punches above its weight. When it comes to readership numbers we are as diverse as the industry itself. Not a month goes by when we don't get calls from readers seeking advice on aquaculture investment opportunities in one form or another. Sadly, for most enquirers the experience of getting encouraging, supportive investment information on aquaculture is like negotiating a minefi eld, with most fi nding it all too hard, meaning many potential investment opportunities are lost. This raises the question why the veil of secrecy and protection of basic information, when aquaculture and marine farming in New Zealand has some of the greatest potential to grow the seafood industry. Towards the end of last year internationally we reached the milestone where half of all the seafood and seafood protein available to the world consumer market was produced through marine farming. Granted, some of the waters where this seafood is produced are a bit suspect, but the fact remains, the demand for quality products is growing every year and international consumers are prepared to pay top dollars to gain a regular and trusted supply of quality seafood. New Zealand is one trusted source. In fact, we are still the only country that may export live and/or fresh shellfi sh directly from the sea into the United States of America without going through some costly repurifi cation process. What are the risks and threats that no-one is prepared to discuss? Clearly aquaculture is not without its negative impacts. The harmful consequences and risks associated with aquaculture can be broken down into the three areas: risks to farmed fi sh or shellfi sh themselves, risks to the surrounding environment and organisms, and risks to the human population. Disease is one of the greatest risks. When any type of organism is confi ned in high density the spread of disease and parasites can become more rapid. Marine farms are ideal breeding grounds for sea lice and parasites, due to the high density of stocked shellfi sh and fi nfi sh. Pollution from aquaculture sedimentation of faeces and uneaten fi sh feed can add large quantities of nutrient-rich organic matter into the sea (marine or coastal pens), rivers (race ways) or soil (inland ponds). Internationally, many farmed fi sh are carnivorous species that require more feed products than can be supported from natural food sources. This is largely due to the high densities of fi sh, with many intensive and semi-intensive aquaculture systems using two to fi ve times more fi sh protein, in the form of fi sh meal and fi sh oil, to feed the farmed species than is converted into growth weights. In New Zealand our fi nfi sh farmers are well aware of these risks, but secrecy remains for the newcomer. Escaped farmed fi sh give rise to the risk of invasive species. Biosecurity New Zealand has ranked invasive species or marine invaders as being among the most serious threats to our native marine biodiversity. In the United States and the northern hemisphere, aquaculture has become a leading vector of aquatic invasive species worldwide, introducing unwanted seaweed, fi sh, invertebrates, parasites and pathogens. Most major aquatic species cultured in the United States are not native to their farm sites, and when fi sh inevitably escape from their marine or riparian pens they become competitors with wild species. For instance, as much as 40 percent of Atlantic salmon caught in the North Atlantic are of farmed origin. Scary stuff, aye! This point alone gives rise to caution, but surely not the cloud of secrecy that appears to prevail. By now we are very aware of the risks and devastating effects of various viruses on our shellfi sh industry. Granted, we have always been at the forefront of research, identifi cation and management of algae blooms and norovirus-type infections. But the oyster herpes virus has decimated our juvenile Pacifi c oyster stocks and has effectively destroyed nearly 80 percent of many of our productive marine farms, forcing closures and job layoffs. Sadly, when news of this outbreak was fi rst reported, Aquaculture New Zealand, went into denial, were slow to respond, which could have tarnished our pristine marine farming reputation internationally. It would be fair to say Aquaculture New Zealand made some mistakes as it negotiated some very challenging waters since its inception in an effort to establish itself as an authoritative voice on behalf of its members. To this end the chief executive offi cer, Mike Burrell, has achieved much and has now moved on, leaving his replacement the huge task of securing potential growth opportunities for an aquaculture and marine farming industry for the benefi t of New Zealand as the seafood industry enters another phase of change. To do this we need honesty and investment. Think about it. 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