NZ King Salmon plans offshore farm to double production

NEW Zealand King Salmon has applied for an open ocean farm permit in the Cook Strait, which if successful could double its production.

The proposal, for a 1,792 hectare site 7km off Cape Lambert, producing 4,000 tonnes of salmon, will be followed by a secondary farm of the same size. The company currently produces 8,000 tonnes per year of salmon.

The application, lodged with Marlborough District Council, had a closing date for submissions in mid-December and the farmer invited the public to support its plans via social media.

‘We expect a hearing will be held in early 2020, with the hope of resource consent granted by mid-2020,’ said NZ King Salmon. ‘If successful, we intend to have the farm commissioned in 2021, with a first harvest in 2022/23.

‘We have already met with a wide range of groups, including iwi (Maoris), fishing companies, Department of Conservation, Forest and Bird, the Environmental Defence Society and local community groups and invite anyone wanting to know more to come and meet with us.’

The company said moving into the open ocean is ‘the future of salmon farming, not only in New Zealand but globally’.

The government launched an aquaculture growth strategy recently, which supports open ocean farming in a bid to increase annual sales from $623 million to $3 billion by 2035.