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NEWS LESS SEX PLEASE, WE'RE KINGFISH New research reveals the secret to commercially farming kingfi sh is convincing the amorous fi nned species to have less sex. Studies being held by the Bay of Plenty Polytechnic and University of Waikato have confi rmed the need for less frisky behaviour. Scientists at the Bay of Plenty Polytechnic and University of Waikato were exploring the possibility of commercially farming kingfi sh, and found the important thing was to ensure the farmed fi sh put their energy into growth rather than breeding. Waikato's Dr Steven Bird will use biomarkers to look at how genes respond to environmental changes, while Bay of Plenty's Dr Simon Muncaster examines the process of sexual differentiation: when and how kingfi sh develop either male or female characteristics. More details of this and other University of Waikato research stories are in the latest issue of re:think, available on the university's web page. RECEIVERS ASSIGNED TO MUSSEL PROCESSOR William Black and Andrew Grenfell of McGrathNicol have been appointed receivers and managers of Tauranga-based North Island Mussel Processors Ltd by a secured lender. North Island Mussel Processors Ltd owns and operates an automated mussel processing plant in Greerton, Tauranga. "The receivers have had good support from all major stakeholders, including management and staff, and will continue to operate the company on a business as usual basis while the various options are assessed" said William Black. Listed fi shing company and NIMPL shareholder Sanford, said receivers had been called in as a consequence of Greenshell NZ, the parent company of Greenshell Investments, and a shareholding partner in the NIMPL joint venture, for failing to pay processing fees of $1.2 million and other associated debts dating back six months. Greenshell NZ is owned by interests associated with Peter Vitasovich, chairman of Aquaculture New Zealand. Sanford said the receivership would have no material impact on its fi nancial results or any of its banking covenants. In June 2010, Prime Minister John Key opened NIMPL's new $23 million mussel processing plant with high tech automated mussel opening machines. At the time of the Tauranga factory opening, the aquaculture industry had plans to become a sustainable, billion-dollar industry by 2025. Sanford managing director Eric Barratt could not comment on the possible impact on Coromandel mussel industry jobs but said the focus now was on how to keep the 20 fulltime staff and 200 seasonal workers operating. Asked if Sanford and Sealord could seek another partner, Barratt said that had not yet been considered. "The issue is the mussel processing business needs volume - it's a little sad there was not equality of volume." 4 ■ NZ AQUACULTURE ■ NZ KING SALMON PRODUCTION TO RISE IF FARM PLANS ACCEPTED New Zealand King Salmon could lift production from about 8750 tonnes a year to about 22,000 tonnes a year if its application to develop nine new fi sh farms in the Marlborough Sounds is successful. An Environmental Protection Authority hearing to consider an application by King Salmon for a required plan change and resource consents, opened on Monday August 27, and heard King Salmon say that demand for fi sh grown by the company is outstripping their ability to supply. To expand, the company needs new farms in Queen Charlotte and Pelorus Sounds and Port Gore in the outer Sounds, where the Marlborough District Council had prohibited aquaculture. The company investigated converting mussel farms to salmon farms in a review in 1998, but of the 500 or so farms, only one might have met key criteria. NZKS say the proposed sites are mostly; • deep, because there was more space to farm fi sh • cool, so fi sh effi ciently converted feed to fl esh and stayed healthy • fast-fl owing, to wash away waste • sheltered, so cages were not damaged by swells • distant from signifi cant landscapes, homes and baches • unlikely to clash with other uses like boating, fi shing and tourism. To help its farms blend in with the landscape, camoufl age colours would be used for nets and the barges where staff lived and fi sh feed was stored, he said. Barges would be smaller than originally planned. Environmental planners Boffa Miskell Ltd gave details to the hearing of the plan changes needed for King Salmon to develop its new farms as well as conditions which would need to be met. expected to take 10 weeks. The hearing is NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 OPOTIKI HARBOUR IMPROVEMENTS BOON The Opotiki Harbour Transformation project has received a $92,000 grant from BayTrust to upgrade the Eastern Bay of Plenty town's harbour entrance for year- round use. The harbour project is part of a wider plan to promote economic growth in the area through the expansion of the country's largest offshore marine farm, Eastern Seafarms. Bay of Connections is a regional economic development strategy for the wider Bay of Plenty region that sets out the goals and priorities for sustainable, region-wide, economic growth. The plan is to grow an integrated and sustainable aquaculture industry in the Bay of Plenty with export sales of $250 million by 2025. The regional vision is in line with the New Zealand Aquaculture Strategy, which is aiming for exports totalling $1 billion by 2025. It is envisaged that the Bay of Plenty will be responsible for about a quarter of the aquaculture industry's sales by then. Although there is currently only one mussel farm at Opotiki, Chairman of the Bay of Plenty Regional Aquaculture Organisation action group, Graeme Coates, says the Eastern Bay of Plenty needs better onshore facilities to expand. Research has shown Bay of Plenty waters to be among the most productive in New Zealand, with opportunities for large-scale marine and land-based operations to farm a range of species for local consumption and export. Mr Coates says that better access to the site and harbour improvements will enable the industry to advance. INDOOR FISH FARM EXPANSION An indoor fi sh farm growing carp with ambitious plans to expand locally and hook lucrative export deals, is forming a consortium to set up new facilities, budgeted at $5.5 million. The freshwater farm in Hope just out of Richmond, sells silver carp and grass carp grown in a recirculating system, for both domestic and export markets. The operation was set up by Robert Hutton and Francis Day, directors of New Zealand Land Based Aquaculture, which received its fi sh farm licence in June from the Ministry of Primary Industries. Although the MPI have issued licences for a freshwater, recirculation farm to rear grass carp and farm several whitebait species, koura, Chinook salmon and silver carp, there are only 11 indoor fi sh farms in New Zealand, and most others use seawater to grow paua in the emerging land based aquaculture industry. The Hope fi sh farm grows 4500 silver and grass carp using a recirculation system without any link to rivers, lakes or streams. It has sold fi sh to New Zealand