Aquaculture
Undue Adverse Effects Test
Aquaculture Agreements and Arbitration
Information for UAE decisions and aquaculture agreements
Your involvement in the UAE test
Current coastal permit applications and recent aquaculture decisions
Maps of Commercial Inshore Fishing Activity
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Aquaculture

Aquaculture is the raising of plants or animals in water. It can occur in coastal waters, rivers, lakes and even on land – in constructed pools or tanks.

For aquaculture, the Ministry has several responsibilities:

  • It manages land-based farming under the provisions of the Freshwater Fish Farming Regulations 1983.
  • It works to grow the aquaculture industry through initiatives of the Aquaculture Unit (the Government’s principal advisor on marine and land-based aquaculture).
  • It is the lead Crown agency responsible for implementing the Māori Aquaculture Settlement
  • It provides decisions on whether coastal permits would have an undue adverse effect on recreational, customary and commercial fishing.

The Ministry’s assessment of whether a coastal permit would have an undue adverse effect on fishing integrates with the resource consent (coastal permit) application process for new aquaculture space. A diagram showing the consent application and UAE test process is available below.

PDF Icon.  Download Consent Application and UAE Process Diagram (PDF 99KB)

The Current coastal permit applications and recent aquaculture decisions page shows where coastal permit applications notified to the Ministry are in the UAE test/resource consent process.

FishServe’s role

FishServe, on behalf of the Ministry, is responsible for managing the Fish Farmer Register. All persons carrying out the activity of fish farming must be registered under the Fisheries Act 1996.

FishServe also registers aquaculture agreements and compensation declarations on behalf of the Ministry.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

The New Zealand government has developed an aquaculture website that is managed by the Ministry. The site includes information on the environmental effects of aquaculture, regional planning, Māori development, industry development and farmed species.

The Aquaculture Reform 2011 guidance note 1: Aquaculture planning and consenting contains information on the integration of UAE test with the coastal permit process.

For additional information about aquaculture visit our commercial pages.

Updated : 7 October 2011