Hatchery a key part of growth plan
Moana New Zealand hopes that a new $5 million hatchery in Nelson will help to increase tio (oyster) production to 1.65 million dozen a year by 2027.
The hatchery at Nelson’s Cawthron Aquaculture Park in Glenduan officially opens today and has been named Kirikirita¯tangi.
Moana New Zealand chair Rachel Taulelei said the hatchery had created 3.5 fulltime jobs at the plant, and that number would grow as production increased.
‘‘We have also provided to summer interns the opportunity for real hands-on experience in landbased aquaculture. With the planned growth, this will also mean additional roles on our grow out farms and processing facilities across the North Island.’’
Being able to manage end-to-end control of the oyster growing process was critical to the company’s growth, she said, as it would help to ensure consistency of supply.
‘‘One of the critical success factors behind our growth plan is the reliability of spat supply, and the hatchery is key to this.’’
Traditionally, the sector used wild spat caught on sticks, but this could be hard to control, Taulelei said.
‘‘Our selective breeding programme began more than 20 years ago and, along with improved husbandry practices, it has enabled us to produce consistently highquality oysters year-round.’’
Moana already had an oyster nursery at the aquaculture park, so it made sense to set up a hatchery next door, she said.
Nelson Chamber of Commerce chief executive Ali Boswijk said it was exciting to see new developments in the aquaculture sector helping to add to the region’s ‘‘blue economy’’.
Taulelei said Moana NZ was Aotearoa’s first fully-integrated oyster company. The hatchery was the first stage of a plan for the Ma¯ori-owned company to achieve sales of 1.65 million dozen per year.
The company was also innovating in other ways, shifting from timber racks to floating tio baskets on longlines, she said. ‘‘This not only creates better working conditions for our kaimahi, but it has less impact on te taiao, the environment.’’