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THE New Zealand Government has given the green light for a significant expansion of the country's aquaculture industry into a billon dollar operation within 15 years.
New legislation has just been passed by the country's Parliament which removes the requirement for Aquaculture Management Areas to be established before consent applications can be made, and provides for compensation to quota holders if they are forced out of some areas in favour of aquaculture.
New Zealand now joins the United States, which has also annoounced a huge expansion of its fish farming industry, in realing the future role of aquaculture in supplying fish not just to its own nation, but to the rest of the world.
Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Phil Heatley said the new the legal framework was needed to support growth in the sector, but stressed it would not be at the expense of the environment.
Mr Heatley said: “From October 1st, changes will be made to the Aquaculture Reform (Repeals and Transitional Provisions) Act 2004, the Fisheries Act 1996, the Maori Commercial Aquaculture Claims Settlement Act 2004, and the Resource Management Act 1991.
"These changes will support the aquaculture industry to fulfil its potential while maintaining essential protections for the environment. It balances aquaculture development with other uses of the coastal space,” said Mr Heatley.
“Aquaculture needs only a small fraction of our coastal space and has the potential to be a NZ $1 billion industry by 2025. This potential was fettered by the unintended consequences of former regulation that saw aquaculture applications held back by moratoria,” Mr Heatley added .
One of the key aspects of the new law is the removal of the requirement for Aquaculture Management Areas, or AMAs, to be established before consent applications can be made.
“This will put aquaculture on the same footing as other coastal activities and enable councils to plan for it in a similar way. Removing the requirement for AMAs means a return to aquaculture development going through consents processes under the Resource Management Act,” said Mr Heatley.
The legislation specifically assists aquaculture development in Tasman and Waikato by amending both regional coastal plans to enable applications to farm a wider range of species, including finfish, in areas where aquaculture is already established.
“Before the introduction of this legislation, these two plans contained the greatest barriers to developing aquaculture. The Government recognised there was a great opportunity to stimulate investment and growth in these regions, within acceptable environmental limits."
In Waikato, the coastal plan has also been amended to establish the Coromandel Marine Farm Zone.
Throughout this process the Government has signalled its commitment to ensuring that the Crown continues to uphold the Maori Commercial Aquaculture Claims Settlement.
“This law does that and includes a delivery mechanism for the Maori Commercial Aquaculture Claims Settlement,” says Mr Heatley.
“This new piece of legislation will ensure that New Zealand is well placed to meet the growing worldwide demand for environmentally sustainable aquaculture products,” he says.
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