WELLINGTON: Nelson’s Cawthron Institute is at the helm of a new open ocean shellfish farming project that could boost New Zealand aquaculture exports by tens of millions of dollars, reports Stuff. Led by aquaculture scientist Kevin Heasman, the five year project recently received NZD 6 million ($4.4m) from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. The project aimed to revolutionize the current open ocean farming structures to make them more efficient and low maintenance, he said. It was the first research project in the world to look at developing new technology appropriate for the offshore environment.
Heasman said New Zealand was the most efficient mussel farming producer in the world, and the project could up the game even more. Current offshore farms consist of fewer floats on the surface, compared to inshore farms, and the backbone of the farm under water, with mussel lines attached. “That way when waves are coming past there’s fewer floats to transfer the energy to the backbone,” Heasman said. “Less energy means less maintenance and potential product losses.” Heasman doesn’t expect open ocean farming to replace inshore farming. The current open ocean farming structure was very labor intensive because of the regular check-ups and amendments needed, he said.
