Government gives go-ahead for marine farm in Jackson Bay 

1 June 2006

PRESS RELEASE

From the Ministry of Fisheries

The Ministry of Fisheries has given a preliminary go-ahead to the first major marine farm development on the West Coast of the South Island. The 45.5 ha farm is located about one kilometre offshore in Jackson Bay, north of Fiordland.

“We had to judge whether the proposed farm would unduly affect fishing, or the sustainability of fisheries resources in the area,” says Ministry of Fisheries’ aquaculture manager Dan Lees.

“In this instance, and based on information currently available, we didn’t believe the farm would unduly affect fishing or the marine environment and protected species in the area.”

“We like to run an open process,” says Mr Lees. “Now that I have made this preliminary decision, parties get to see what I am thinking and what information I have taken into account. They can then provide additional information they wish me to consider.”

The applicant and affected parties now have the opportunity to provide additional information before the Ministry’s final decision is made, says Mr Lees.

“Any additional information provided will be carefully considered before a final decision to grant or decline this application is made.”

Jackson Bay is an important area for Hector’s dolphins and Fiordland Crested Penguins and the potential effects of the farm on these protected species had to be carefully considered.

“Elsewhere in the country, Hector’s dolphins frequent existing marine farming areas where farms have been in the water for a number of decades,” says Mr Lees. “This, and other evidence, suggests there is a low risk that Hector’s dolphins would become entangled in the farm structures, or have their feeding areas greatly affected.”

Mr Lees says information he has about Fiordland Crested Penguins suggests the proposed farm would not significantly affect the feeding or breeding activities of the colony at Jackson Head. He says those penguins at Neil’s Beach have already been affected by human activities (including the presence of dogs), and he doesn’t think it likely that the farm – which would be one kilometre offshore - would greatly affect the penguins that still use the beach for moulting.

The Ministry of Fisheries will be contacting stakeholders, and is asking parties affected by the decision to send any additional written comments to the Ministry before 3 July 2006. These comments will be reviewed before a final decision is made.

The final decision will likely be made this winter.

ENDS

For more information on processing the backlog of marine farming permit applications, contact:

Dan Lees
daniel.lees@fish.govt.nz
Ph. 03 545 8785 or 027 244 8294

Background Information

The Ministry of Fisheries is processing a backlog of around 125 permit applications for marine farms that were lodged before the aquaculture moratorium came into effect in November 2001. Most are held up waiting for applicants to provide additional scientific information.

They are part of the flood of applications that occurred largely as a result of a weak New Zealand dollar and a strong export demand for Greenshell™ mussels 3-4 years ago. The flood prompted Government to impose a moratorium on aquaculture applications until a better system of planning was brought in. This occurred on January 1st 2005, when the new aquaculture reforms became law.

However, the Ministry of Fisheries must continue processing these pre-moratorium applications under the Fisheries Act 1983, because this was the legislation that applied when these applications were made.

That legislation requires the Ministry to decide whether the proposed marine farm would have undue adverse effects on either the activity of fishing or on the sustainability of fisheries resources.

If the Ministry finds the proposed farm would unduly affect either of these, it cannot issue a marine farming permit.

Sometimes an undue adverse effect creeps up cumulatively, as more and more farms become established. The greater the density of marine farms, the greater likelihood there becomes of adverse effects on fishing or the sustainability of fisheries resources.

One small farm may have no undue adverse effect on fishing or fisheries resources. But adding further farms to an area, one may reach the point where the cumulative effect of adding yet another small farm will ‘break the camel’s back’. At such a point, that farm could be judged to unduly affect the area’s fishing or sustainability of fisheries resources.

Already in some areas, like the Marlborough Sounds, marine farms are having increasing cumulative effects on fishing and fisheries resources. Consequently, the Ministry of Fisheries is concerned that applicants in these places provide enough scientific information to allow them to properly evaluate cumulative impacts.

The Ministry’s permitting process happens in two stages. The Ministry initially makes a preliminary decision based on the information the applicant has provided, from information it holds itself and from consultation with commercial recreational and customary fishers and other stakeholders.

The Ministry distributes the preliminary decision to the applicant and stakeholders to inform affected parties of the Ministry’s likely decision. The applicant and stakeholders then have another opportunity to provide further information. The Ministry considers this additional information and then makes a final decision to either approve or decline the application.

Nearly half the applications being processed have had preliminary decisions already made on them, and are awaiting additional information. And most applications in the Marlborough Sounds are on hold, while applicants gather additional information.

Once all the information is provided to the Ministry, decisions are being made quickly, as additional resources have been dedicated to handling the backlog.

Approximately 12,000 ha of waterspace have been approved for coastal aquaculture activities around New Zealand (this includes the 9000 hectares approved prior to the aquaculture moratorium). A further 12,000 hectares are currently awaiting approval or consideration under the old law (covered by 125 marine farm permit applications).

While it was thought this backlog would be cleared by the middle of 2006, delays in applicants coming back with more detailed information mean the backlog may now not be resolved until mid-2007.

For more information on processing the backlog of marine farming permit applications, contact:

Dan Lees
daniel.lees@fish.govt.nz
Ph. 03 545 8785

For information on the aquaculture reforms, visit: www.mfe.govt.nz/issues/resource/aquaculture