Aquaculture in New Zealand - Timeline

Timeline

• Pre-European: The indigenous Māori undertake rudimentary aquaculture activities, such as placing suitable rocks into the intertidal settlement zones of oyster larvae. They are also thought to have transplanted abalone and other shellfish between different areas.

• Early 20th century: Salmon species are introduced to New Zealand as sport fish, but only the Chinook, or king salmon adapts to the environment.

• 1950s: the Pacific oyster is introduced, possibly from a Japanese vessel hull or in their ballast water.

• Early 1960s: Dredge fisheries start operating in the north of the South Island and around the Hauraki Gulf. Within a few years they dredge these areas bare.

• Late 1960s: As a response to the collapse of the dredge fisheries, the aquaculture of New Zealand mussels begins.

• 1970s: Farming of king salmon begins.

• Late 1990s: The aquaculture industry goes through a boom period, and demand for coastal space increases fivefold.

• 2002: The government, in some disarray, imposes a moratorium on new marine farms while they attempt to develop better legislation aimed at dealing with the environmental demands of aquaculture and streamlining applications for marine and freshwater farms.

• 2005: Parliament passes the Aquaculture Reform Act 2004, amending five existing acts so they can better cope with the environmental demands of aquaculture, and creating two new acts. However, the reform fails to streamline applications, and no further allocation of aquaculture space occurs over the next four years.

• 2006: The New Zealand aquaculture industry publishes The New Zealand Aquaculture Strategy, setting itself an annual sales target of one billion NZ dollars by 2025.

• 2007: The New Zealand government responds to the industry initiative by releasing an aquaculture development strategy highlighting existing actions and proposing new initiatives including funding incentives, mainly aimed at trying to action its reform legislation.

• 2008: A settlement of $97 million is made to Māori for Crown obligations for aquaculture space that was approved between 1992 and 2004.

• 2008: The government changes and announces that the aquaculture reforms will be overhauled. It reaffirms the government commitment to the industry billion dollar target.