In a world where most of the public don’t differentiate between where mussels and monkfish come from, how can fishing and aquaculture learn from each other, and even work together for better outcomes?

The Aquaculture New Zealand Conference is always a big and busy event. Around 450 people get together, usually in Nelson, and spirits are often high, but perhaps never more so than this year. At the opening on Wednesday this week, Chairman Bruce Hearn started his address by saying that if you’d told him even a year ago that the sector would soon get twenty year extensions on existing marine farming permits, he would have thought you were putting gin on your weetbix. But here we are. 

Bruce also said there is a need for a spirit of collaboration. We like that sentiment. 

Let’s think about some of the many things our sibling industries of fishing and aquaculture have in common.

Firstly, most of our large fishing companies are also our large aquaculture companies. Talley’s (fishing and mussels), Sealord (fishing and salmon (in Australia)), Sanford (fishing, mussels and salmon) and Moana (fishing and oysters).  Plenty of the smaller operators also have interests in both areas, too.

Then there’s the marine permits that Bruce talked about. Both fishing and aquaculture have more experience than they would like in being wound up in red tape for years at a time. Everyone would acknowledge the need for sensible legislation that protects environments and people. But in fishing, we are concerned about regulatory overlap, when two or three bits of different legislation try to do what one act could do more efficiently. Both fisheries and aquaculture are vulnerable to the impacts of RMA decisions. At Seafood New Zealand, we think the Fisheries Act is the appropriate place to manage fisheries.

Bruce Hearn, Chairman Aquaculture New Zealand -->

Both fishing and aquaculture are populated by people who love the ocean and have an appetite for entrepreneurial risk. In fishing, we are at the mercy of the seasons, ocean currents, climate change impacts and many other factors. These same things impact aquaculture too and anyone involved in either industry needs a high tolerance for risk and change.

Both industries need money. To enable the growth we are capable of we will need capital investment. The question of where this can come from was addressed by Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones in his Conference opening speech. He spoke of his plans to visit Singapore soon and his intention to promote New Zealand as an investment destination, particularly when it comes to food production.

Another financial commonality is costs. Cost increases have hit almost every part of New Zealand’s business landscape.  Nelson Mayor Nick Smith urged Conference attendees to open their pockets while in town – hospitality has been doing it tough at the Top of the South (as it has across the country). Both our aquaculture and fishing sectors face increased costs in everything from fuel to nets. It’s tough out there and the saying “survive till 2025” is now morphing into “survive through 2025.”

If the investment and red tape questions can be addressed, we will be better placed to do this.

Then there are the social licence issues. We may both be industries that bring people beautiful, healthy food, but we are both under attack from a variety of groups. Fishing in New Zealand may suffer more of these slings and arrows, but aquaculture is far from immune. Carl Carrington, CEO of New Zealand King Salmon, gave an uplifting presentation (with his GM Aquaculture Grant Lovell) about their plans for open ocean salmon farming. The Blue Endeavour project is now seriously underway after facing red tape and objections for years. Carl never takes social licence for granted and he reminded delegates that if they get complacent, they only need to look to British Columbia where open-net pen farming has been banned. That decision has been estimated to cost up to 6,000 jobs. 

This sort of conflict exercises minds in both industries. Both are filled with people who want to do the right thing (and yes, sure there are also some people who are less good at working with communities and with nature, but they are the exception, not the rule). 

We see many opportunities to learn from each other and work together. Our shared interest is the ocean and the desire to create jobs and feed people. There is no good guy and less good guy. There should be no favourites. We can all contribute to growing New Zealand’s exports, focusing on good science and supporting each other’s efforts. This can be practical. For example, Seafood New Zealand will soon be presenting to the Foreign Affairs and Trade Select Committee on the technical barriers to trade that affect both industries. It makes sense to collaborate in this way. The power of coordination and speaking with one voice, where appropriate, cannot be underestimated.

Bruce, we love what you say about the spirit of collaboration – thank you. In our small, oceanic country (to loosely quote the Minister) the more we can work together, the better.