New Zealand government backs mussel spat project to grow aquaculture sector - Responsible Seafood Advocate - Global Seafood Alliance

Responsible Seafood Advocate

Greenshell mussel spat project expected to improve survival rates and help triple aquaculture sales revenue by 2035

A government-backed greenshell mussel spat project is expected to improve survival rates and help triple aquaculture sales revenue by 2035. Photo by QFSE Media, via Wikimedia Commons.

The New Zealand government is investing in a project to boost the survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the mussel aquaculture industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. The project will develop an innovative nursery culture system that will foster spat through their most vulnerable stage.

"This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector's productivity," said Jones.

The industry largely relies on wild-caught spat, which has extremely low survival rates. Less than 5 percent of wild-caught spat survives after being transferred to mussel farms, forgoing millions in lost production each year. This project aims to grow spat to a robust size before they are transferred.

"Significant areas of consented mussel farming space are vacant, in part due to the spat supply issue," said Jones. "This project will address those spat supply issues which are severely restricting the productivity and growth of the industry in New Zealand."

The government is co-investing $410,000 (U.S. $241,000) over three years in the $1.04 million (U.S. $613,000) project, which will be led by the Marine Farming Association in partnership with the University of Auckland, Coromandel Marine Farmers' Association, Aquaculture New Zealand, Greenshell Spat Co. and Sanford.

"This project could be key to a more sustainable industry and has the potential to lift the sales revenue of our mussels by tens of millions of dollars per year," said Jones.

The government's aquaculture strategy aims to triple aquaculture sales revenue to $3 billion by 2035. This includes boosting greenshell mussel earnings to $1 billion per year.

@GSA_Advocate

Now that you've reached the end of the article ...

… please consider supporting GSA's mission to advance responsible seafood practices through education, advocacy and third-party assurances. The Advocate aims to document the evolution of responsible seafood practices and share the expansive knowledge of our vast network of contributors.

By becoming a Global Seafood Alliance member, you're ensuring that all of the pre-competitive work we do through member benefits, resources and events can continue. Individual membership costs just $50 a year.

Not a GSA member? Join us.

Support GSA and Become a Member

Tagged With

Related Posts

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

This fish is worth $300,000 - New York Post

This fish is worth $300,000 - New York Post This fish is worth $300,000 - New York Post Posted: 05 Jun 2016 12:00 AM PDT With exacting precision, the surgeon inserted the scalpel above the eyeball and cut out a snotty deposit of fatty tissue. The routine eye-lift was nearly complete when suddenly the patient awoke, suffocating, and began to flop about on the table. The audience gasped. Knowing time was of the essence, the surgeon scooped up the patient in his arms, raced across the stage, and dropped her into a tank of water. She revived. Because she was a fish. Yes, fish eye-lifts exist. As do fin jobs and tail tucks. The operating theater was a mall in Jakarta, Indonesia, where a pet expo was under way. As for the patient, she survived, her formerly droopy eyes now bright and perky. A good thing, too, as this was no ordinary goldfish but rather an Asian arowana, the world's most expensive aquarium denizen, rumored to sell for as mu...
Read more

Catching Dory: selling aquarium fish supports coastal livelihoods in Indonesia | npj Ocean Sustainability - Nature.com

Image
Abstract The global marine aquarium trade has created new local markets across the planet, including in Indonesia, now the second-largest exporting country of marine aquarium fish in the world. Participating in the global aquarium trade has been touted as a potentially sustainable addition to fisher livelihoods, but scant data exist showing the numbers of fish coming off the reef and how those fish contribute to income. To determine how participants in the trade incorporate aquarium species in their livelihoods, we examine source-level aquarium fish collecting and trading data in the Banggai Archipelago, a region in Central Sulawesi that has become a significant source for popular aquarium, also known as ornamental, fish species. Using a sustainable livelihoods lens, we examine this data to understand how participants in the aquarium trade both contribute to as well as benefit from the trade and consider how their participation relates to emerging Blue Justice principles. From one year...
Read more

NilocG Launches New Website for the Only All-in-One Thrive Fertilization Solution for Planted Aquariums - PRNewswire

Image
NilocG Launches New Website for the Only All-in-One Thrive Fertilization Solution for Planted Aquariums - PRNewswire NilocG Launches New Website for the Only All-in-One Thrive Fertilization Solution for Planted Aquariums - PRNewswire Posted: 11 Mar 2021 02:00 AM PST ALBANY, Ore. , March 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- NilocG launches a new website for planted tank enthusiasts to gather and make THRIVE, a plant fertilizer that assures planted tank aquascapes flourish while eliminating the need for multiple products more readily available online. The company also takes it a step further in the industry, making its flagship product easy to dose, super-concentrated, and an all-in-one solution based on an effective EL dosing method with all essential micro and macronutrients. Continue Reading Thrive fertilizer: North America's most trusted aquarium plant fertilizer Colin Grice , CEO, a self-described planted tank lover, re...
Read more