ISSUE 07

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2005

$5.00

Seahorse farms
- conserve wild stocks
Breakthrough
in breeding
shortfin eels
The latest
news and views

CONTENTS

10

13

EDITORIAL
Lack of access to coastal space hampers growth

NEWS
A look at whats happening in the industry

FARMING SEAHORSES AN ENVIRONMENTAL SAVIOUR

Seahorse farm reduces pressure on wild broodstock

EELS DRAW SCIENTIST ACROSS THE OCEANS

A profile of Dr Tagried Kurwie of the Mahurangi Technical Institute

10 BREAKTHROUGH IN BREEDING SHORTFIN EELS

New Zealand leads the world in hatching eels
12 THE IMPORTANCE OF GOOD BIOSECURITY IN SALMON FARMING
Prevention of pathogens yields financial benefits
14 GROWING DEMAND FOR MUSSELS
Understanding of market trends important for export growth
ISSUE 07

SEPTEMB
ER/OCTO
BER 2005
$5.00

Seahor

Cover photo
courtesy of The
Seahorse Farm

- conserverse farms
wild stocks
Breakt
hrou
in bree gh
shortfi ding
n eels
The lat
news
and vieest
ws

EDITOR: Keith Ingram

MANAGER: Vivienne Ingram
ISSN 1176-5402 ISSN 1176-8657 (web)

An informative journal
for the aquaculture industry
Published by:
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Ph 09 533 4336 Fax 09 533 4337
email keith@skipper.co.nz
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www.nzaquaculture.co.nz

ASSISTANT EDITOR:
Mark Barratt-Boyes
CONTRIBUTORS:
Andrew Morgan, Scott Peddie,
Charles Mitchell, Tagried Kurwie,
David Cooper

ADVERTISING:
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DESIGNER:
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General: Reproduction of articles and materials published in New Zealand Aquaculture in whole or part, is permitted provided the source and author(s) are
acknowledged. However, all photographic material is copyright and written permission to reproduce in any shape or form is required. Contributions of a nature
relevant to the aquaculture industry are welcomed and industry participants are especially encouraged to contribute. Articles and information printed in
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New Zealand Aquaculture is done so with all due care as regards to accuracy and factual content, however, the publishers cannot accept responsibility
for any errors and omissions which may occur. New Zealand Aquaculture is produced bi-monthly.

NZ AQUACULTURE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 05

EDITORIAL

LACK OF ACCESS TO COASTAL

SPACE HAMPERS GROWTH
BY KEITH INGRAM

ow the aquaculture law reform package of the

legislation has come into effect, the industry is
still very much at a wait and see stage.
So far we have seen little confidence from the government
or local authorities that will give the industry the reassurance
it requires to develop this important food producing resource
for the nation.
Coupled to this is the uncertainty surrounding the future
status of Maori in aquaculture.The aquaculture industry, by
nature, is labour-intensive, and location-wise is suited to our
more isolated local coastal communities.You might say that it
is a sitter for Maori development.
The new act establishes the Maori Commercial Aquaculture
Settlement Trust, which is to receive and hold settlement
assets until they are transferred to iwi aquaculture
organisations.We understand that the trust must also facilitate
iwi compliance with the various requirements they must meet
before receiving any assets as is their right.
However, Maori also face similar challenges as the wider
aquaculture industry, and perhaps the greatest challenge to the
successful implementation of any arrangements with iwi lies in
the fact that the delivery of any benefits to these trusts
depends almost entirely on new areas being made available for
aquaculture development.
Basically, what the aquaculture industry needs, is for local
bodies to take the initiative and get on with the task of
creating new aquaculture management areas, or AMAs.
How the government will be able to honour its
commitments to the treaty settlement and existing
aquaculture stakeholders in the future is the burning
question. Because when one looks around and talks with
local authorities, industry participants and local iwi, a
common viewpoint evolves. No-one in authority is prepared
to take up the cudgels, make a decision and get on with it.
They are all frightened of the implications of the Resource
Management Act where it provides for objectors whims

without accountability.
The cost of processing aquaculture applications and
developing AMAs is far beyond what ratepayers could
reasonably be expected to fund, we are told. Hence
procrastination reigns.
In saying this, the existing industry is very resilient, as the
majority of participants are dedicated entrepreneurs who
have committed their personal resources to invest in the
industry. Research has quietly progressed, with a recent
success being the ability to breed eels in captivity. This is the
first major step towards developing a new billion-dollar
industry in this country. To progress it will need the
confidence of investors to commit resources to the ongoing
development of breeding and growing eels to market size
in captivity.
This will not happen unless local authorities and the
government demonstrate sound leadership in facilitating a
cost-effective process to develop AMAs and farming sites.
Aquaculture has already proven itself to be an
environmentally friendly tourist attraction.The future
potential of this to grow is once again only constrained by
our ability to have access to water and coastal space.
On a recent visit to Napier we visited The Seahorse Farm,
where once again the mix of tourism and sound commercial
marketing is proving to be a success story for both the
operators and the local community.
While it is our intention to showcase the aquaculture
industry, we cannot do it alone. One of the problems facing us
all is the age-old shyness of not wanting to talk about
ourselves. If we are to change public perception and negative
attitudes towards aquaculture, we must be seen to be
promoting ourselves as good citizens within the community,
and a valuable asset to New Zealand. If you have a
story to tell, please contact the editor.

ac

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Seahors

- conserverse farms
wild stocks
Breakt
hrou
in bree gh
shortfi ding
n eels
The lat
news
and vieest
ws

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 05 NZ AQUACULTURE

NEWS

IRONSAND MINING
COULD THREATEN
MUSSELS
The New Zealand Greenshell mussel
industry has reacted strongly to an
announcement that a company is to prospect
for black ironsands along the western coast
of the North Island.
Iron Ore NZ Ltds permit covers 1270km
of seabed, and initial prospecting started in
July. If the prospecting confirmed sufficient
material, an offshore ironsand mining industry
could become established.
Lorna Holton, the Executive Officer of the
New Zealand Mussel Industry Council, says
prospecting and large-scale ironsand mining
along the seabed from Taranaki to north of
Kaipara could devastate the industry, which
produces 78,000 tonnes of farmed mussels
worth about $250 million each year.
Production is expected to reach 100,000
tonnes by 2010.
The industry relies on wild mussel spat,
with over 80 percent of the juvenile mussel
stock coming from Ninety Mile Beach, and is
vulnerable to environmental damage that
occurs along the seafloor.
Holton says that in March the council
commissioned a report from the National
Institute for Water and Atmospheric
Research on the sensitive and complex
marine environment along the western
coast of the North Island.The report
identified several wild adult mussel beds up
to 1km offshore in depths up to 30m from
Manukau Harbour north to North Cape. It
is highly likely these adult populations are

the source of the large quantities of mussel

spat washing up along Ninety Mile Beach,
she said.
Mussel spat drift on currents and feed on
plankton for weeks before they develop their
small, distinctive shells and settle, she said.
Seabed mining could physically damage the
adult breeding stocks, or the adults may be
smothered if large amounts of sediments are
stirred into the water and drift on currents
along the coast.
Both spat and adults become stressed and
stop feeding if there is too much fine
sediment in the water.Their natural reaction
is to clean the sediment out of their shells,
but after extended periods they slow down
and wait it out.
In a move to protect the wild mussel
resource, the government introduced Greenlipped mussels into the quota management
system from October.A 180 tonne total
allowable catch limit was set for the western
coast north New Zealand mussel stock.
OVERSIZED MARINE
FARMS FINED
Two oversized Northland marine farms
were fined $30,000 recently after a
successful prosecution by the Northland
Regional Council.
Westpac Mussels Distributors Ltd was
fined $20,000 and Houhora Bay Marine
Farms $10,000 after both admitted illegally
occupying the coastal marine area and
erecting marine farming structures in
Houhora Bay.
Westpac Mussels had exceeded its

FARM WINS ENVIRONMENT AWARD

What may have started as a dare by his land-based farming mates turned into a major win
for a Greenshell mussel farmer, Peter Vitasovich, when he took away special honours at this
years Ballance Farm Environment Awards on April 14.
My land-based farming mates were talking about entering the awards one night, and I
thought my mussel farm should be up for that, says Vitasovich, the owner of Greenshell
NZ Ltd.Marine farmers take sustainable environmental practices very seriously because
we rely on New Zealands clean, coastal waters to grow our Greenshell mussels.
The awards attracted a record 179 entries, and Peters entry was the only mussel farm.
The awards are for farmers who show how their environmentally sensitive approach can
be part of a profitable farm business.While the judges were familiar with environmental
land management, few knew about sustainable mussel farming practices.
In summing up, dairy farmer and head judge Ted Coates said,We were all amazed by the
strong parallels between marine farming and land-based farming.There are certainly a lot of
lessons to be learnt from Peters operation.
We saw close parallels between managing a public water space and managing a high
country farming lease. Issues of public access, downstream effects and waste disposal were
all very similar environmental challenges.What made Peters operation stand out was that
he sees real value in meeting the consent requirements and quality standards imposed on
and accepted by the marine farming sector, Coates said.

NZ AQUACULTURE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 05

authorised marine farming areas by 13.05ha,

70 percent more than its consent allowed
for, and Houhora Bay Marine Farms by
2.35ha.
Bruce Howse, the councils coastal
monitoring team leader, says both
companies pleaded guilty after their own
measurements confirmed council figures
taken last July showed that their farms were
oversized.
Judge CJ Thompson of the Auckland
District Court said he took into account that
there had been no discernable adverse effect
on the environment, the fact that both farms
had been reduced to their permitted sizes (in
February this year) and the prompt guilty
pleas by both parties.
HATCHERY PROJECT
SPAWNS AWARD
The New Zealand Salmon Anglers
Association recently honoured Graeme
Davidson, who helped them restore salmon
stocks to the Rakaia River catchment.
Davidson, the manager of New Zealand
King Salmons Tentburn Hatchery, was
presented with the Athol Price Plaque for
outstanding service to the salmon sports
fishery at the associations annual general
meeting.
Davidson has more than 20 years
experience in the industry, and for nearly
three years he has been working with the
associations volunteers to try to halt the
decline in Chinook salmon numbers in the
Rakaia River.Working mostly in conjunction
with New Zealand King Salmon, he has been
supplying returning salmon, and providing
advice on how to get an old hatchery up and
running, plus spawning, egg incubation and
feeding.
The hatchery is owned by Ad and Marjo
Bruijn, who lease it to Fish and Game North
Canterbury.The couple say they are
enthusiastic about what has been achieved
and take an active part in the operation.
The results have far exceeded expectations
for a new project, says the association.
Returns - fish coming back to spawn - are
showing about two percent of the number
released, with 40 percent of salmon caught in
2005 originating from the first eggs hatched
in 2002.
Davidson says the project is an important
starting point in helping to sustain the salmon
fisheries in New Zealand for the salmon
anglers of the future.
I am delighted to receive this award. It is
a privilege to help such a dedicated group

of enthusiastic salmon anglers. A great deal

of credit goes to all those volunteers who
gave so freely of their time to be involved
in the project.
AGENCY WINS SALMON
COMPANY PITCH
Aucklands Republik Communications has
won the Regal Marlborough Salmon
advertising account after a five-way pitch.
Republik director Paul McNamara says Regal
is making a big splash in New Zealand and
export markets.With the business in brandbuilding mode, its potential is enormous, and
we believe we can provide new impetus for
Regals growth.
AQUACULTURE COULD
FACE CRIPPLING
CHARGES
Excessive regional council and government
charges could force some small and mediumsized aquaculture farmers out of business,
says the New Zealand Mussel Industry
Council.
Farmers were looking down the barrel of a
host of new charges, including coastal
occupancy charges, bonds, line levies,
reporting requirements and extra
administration fees, said the councils
executive officer, Lorna Holton.
Government officials were reviewing an
aquaculture implementation plan that
listed 14 separate projects led by the
Ministry for the Environment, the
Department of Conservation, the Ministry
of Fisheries or regional councils. Not one
of these projects adds up all the extra
costs (the) industry is likely to face if the
projects are implemented in their current
form, she says.
A strong New Zealand dollar, rising fuel
and regulatory charges had all affected
profitability in the last two years, and farmers
could not absorb additional fees and charges.
Exporters also faced added costs in sending
their products to key markets in the United
States, Europe and North Asia, including a
range of tariffs and stringent product and
phytosanitary testing.
Industry leaders from across New
Zealand were coming together to work on
an aquaculture sector strategy to build
value across the industry.The aim was to
improve market access for aquaculture
products such as Greenshell mussels,
oysters and salmon. Part of the strategy
will focus on identifying the increasing
number of regulatory barriers facing the

KINA RESEARCH WINS AWARD

Kina roe can fetch $70
per kilo on the domestic
market, substantially more
than rock lobster. But
holding kina in sea cages
with the right diet and
handling can more than
double their roe yield.
The research, by Phil
James of the National
Institute for Water and
Atmospheric Research,
won him the agriculture,
forestry and fishing
section of the
MacDiarmid Young
Phil James, winner of the agriculture, forestry and fishing section
Scientist of the Year
of the MacDiarmid Young Scientist of the Year, receives his award
from the Minister of Research, Science and Technology. Steve
Awards.
Maharey - Foundation for Research, Science & Technology
Phil works at NIWAs
cold-water aquaculture base at
Mahanga Bay in Wellington. He
placed wild-caught kina in sea
cages out in the bay and fed them
a specially formulated diet for 10
weeks. Not only did the kina do
well in the cages, they didnt mind
being removed from the water for
cleaning and feeding. Divers fed half
the kina, and he pulled the other
half up regularly for feeding. It
Divers feed kina in sea cages at Mahanga Bay,
made no difference to the roe yield.
Wellington - NIWA
Phil also investigated the effects of
waves on the kina, and found water movement was beneficial. He got 31 percent more roe
from kina in cages suspended from a mussel longline at 6m than from kina in cages held in
place by a sub-surface longline on the seabed.
industry as well as tariff and trade issues.
The industry needed to expose costs
across the sector, remove trade barriers and
develop export agreements with key trading
partners.We want some of these key trade
issues raised at the next World Trade
Organisation negotiations in Doha, Qatar.
If the industry was to grow, the
government needed to clearly understand
how regulatory charges impacted on
profitability.
IMPRISONMENT FOR
PAUA OFFENCE
Wun Yin Chow of Lower Hutt was
sentenced to eight months imprisonment
when he appeared at Wellington District
Court on July 18 for sentencing on a charge
in relation to paua offending. He had
previously pleaded guilty.
Chow was apprehended at Johnsonville on

August 25, 2004, while buying 1003

individual shucked ordinary paua for $2250
from two Johnsonville men, Iakopo Faatau
and Moevao Neti.
The paua, packed in 11 supermarket bags,
weighed 117.9kg and had an estimated value
of $10,600.The offence was in breach of
section 233 of the Fisheries Act 1996.
Judge Bruce Davidson said he took a
starting point of 12 months imprisonment
and reduced the sentence by four months in
response to the defendants guilty plea and
other mitigating factors.The custodial
sentence was not deferred pending an
application for home detention.
Faatau and Neti, who had pleaded guilty in
November 2004, were imprisoned for 12
months on March 9, when the court ordered
the 117.9kg of paua, the sale proceeds of
$2250 and the vehicle the paua was
found in to be forfeited to the Crown.

ac

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 05 NZ AQUACULTURE

FARMING SEAHORSES

an environmental saviour
PHOTOS BY KEITH INGRAM & COURTESY OF THE SEAHORSE FARM

BY KEITH INGRAM

The nursery

Juvenile seahorses

The New Zealand potbelly seahorse

n recent years the demand for seahorses to satisfy the evergrowing Chinese medicinal market has cause huge local
depletions worldwide of this friendly critter of the sea.
Even our local waters are not exempt, as a steady private
market practice has been happening under our very noses for
years.With the increase in new arrivals to New Zealand, many
of these folk have recognised an opportunity to catch and
quietly export them as dried seahorses.The sad part about this
is that while customs and other management agencies knew it
was happening - no one recognised the risk.This factor and
recent focus on the CITES agreement encouraged us to look
deeper at the opportunity to farm seahorses as a viable
aquaculture activity.
Situated on the southern end of Napiers Marine Parade as
one heads towards Clive, in what was an old wool scourers
building, is one of New Zealands two seahorse farms.
It is owned and operated by HBA Aquaculture Ltd, who
originally developed the site in 1996 for on-growing wild rock
lobsters.The spiny red lobster pueruli (Jasus edwardsii) was

NZ AQUACULTURE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 05

caught in the wild and then on-grown primarily for the

restaurant trade.
Unfortunately, new rules for catching wild pueruli ended the
viability of this business opportunity.Today the farm trades in
live paddle crabs and various species of ornamentals, including
whitebait, inanaga, banded kokopu (Galaxias fasciatus) and
koaro as supporting products.
The primary function of the farm is now breeding and
growing two saltwater species of seahorse, with the mainstay
being the New Zealand potbelly seahorse Hippocampus
abdominalis, which thrives in the temperate waters and was
once abundant on our coastline.These seahorses are mainly
sold in pairs as a cold saltwater aquarium species.
A site on the foreshore of a coastal beach was an essential
factor in setting up the farm, as it must have a consistent supply
of good quality water.
We are fortunate to have access to both fresh and sea
water, says the companys administration officer, Lisa Welch.
Seawater comes from two intake wells capable of providing
over 200,000 litres per hour drawn from several metres under

the gravel on the beach.The water is stored in a 500,000 litre

reservoir, from where it is fed to a variety of flow-through and
reticulated systems.
The fresh water supply originates from a deep aquifer, where
it is drawn at a cool eight degrees Celsius.
In the nine years of its existence, HBA Aquaculture has had
to change direction and diversify greatly.To aid in future
growth we have a strong emphasis on research and
development of new species and products, says Lisa.
The farm is also open to the public and operates guided
tours daily.Visitors get to see not only seahorses but the range
of ornamentals, including large rock lobsters and packhorse
crayfish, and of course the hundreds of paddle crabs which pass
through the farm.
This diversification into tourism has enabled the farm to
continue to fund its development. On a busy day during
summer up to 1000 visitors, ranging from families to travellers
and school parties, can visit the farm. But it was the seahorses
that we had come to look at.
The potbelly seahorse was once common around the
coastline of New Zealand and Australia.Today it is quickly
becoming a rarity in many accessible parts of our coast.
The National Institute for Water and Atmospheric Research
(NIWA) is currently studying the numbers in the wild, and
hopes to have this research available soon.
While the farms original broodstock came from local
sources in the wild, it is now entirely self-sufficient, and grows
some 50,000 seahorses each year from babies to adults, with

the capacity to increase

production to 200,000 or
even 300,000 seahorses
annually.These animals are
ready for sale at around
eight to ten months of age.
A recent new addition to the
farms breeding programme is
Hippocampus kudu, which is
tropical and requires
warm water.
There are two vastly
different uses for our
seahorses, says Lisa.
We market them
throughout New Zealand to pet
shops, where the potbelly variety sells for $50
per pair, and the tropical kuda variety for $100 per pair.
On the international market, export orders go to Japan, the
United States and Canada.With the introduction of CITES
regulations controlling the international trade and sale of
seahorses, the farm has been successful in being able to obtain
CITES export approval for all orders to date.
Air-dried seahorses make up the balance of our seahorse
sales, says Lisa.These are being increasingly used as
ornaments and in selected art works, with a large portion
catering for the traditional Chinese medicinal market.
Currently there are around 75,000 seahorses on the site,

Spiky and
Yellish are two
of the popular
resident
critters

VIP.AC04

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 05 NZ AQUACULTURE

Adults on
display

of which three-quarters are the potbelly variety and the rest kuda.
Broodstock from mature seahorses are kept separate and are
all over 12 months old.The potbelly seahorse can live to 10
years in the wild and breed three times a year, although in
captivity they have a life expectancy of around six years.
The female produces the eggs, and when she is ready she
releases a chemical scent into the water to tell the male that
she is hot to trot.
On receiving this scent, the males start displaying and strutting
their stuff, after which she will choose her mate. During the
two-day courtship the male opens the top of his pouch and the
female sits on it and injects the eggs during an upward mating
spiral. He then fertilises the eggs internally, and around 30 to 35
days later he gives birth to up to 900 live babies, or fry.
These are then transferred to the nursery for on-growing.

Every seahorse must be counted and recorded

to meet both the CITES agreement and New
Zealand aquaculture rules on seahorses.
Out in the ocean, the survival rate of these
live fry is less than one percent. In the
controlled environment of the farm, the
survival rate is around 50 to 60 percent.
The fry are on-grown for six months,
during which their diet is changed to hard
tucker consisting mainly of frozen mysis
shrimps.After another two months, they are
ready for sale as live seahorses.
Seahorses which die naturally or as
controlled culls are dried for the tourist
trade as ornamentals.The CITES
agreement allows a person to possess up
to four seahorses in captivity.This is to
protect the threat to wild stocks being
harvested for the Chinese medicinal
market. In world demand, China currently
consumes some 20 million seahorses for
medicinal use annually.
The second species at the farm, the
tropical species Hippopotamus kuda, has
been developed to meet market
demand and diversity. Kuda will breed
five or six times a year.Around 100 broodstock animals are
kept in a 3000 litre tank made up of an equal number of males
and females.To reduce any chance of interbreeding, once the
seahorses give birth, their offspring are removed and kept in
different tanks.
The hatchling seahorses are removed every morning and
placed into separate tanks, where the top of the water is
darkened.These young fry are fed for the first three months on
a diet of 72-hour-old enriched artemia three times a day.After
that, the hatchlings are trained to take the larger live mysis
shrimps and then at six months on to frozen shrimp.
The Seahorse Farm is another example of how a bit of lateral
thinking can add value in developing the core aquaculture
business by diversifying into tourism, with the added bonus of
relieving pressure on our wild stocks.
For further information email info@theseahorsefarm.co.nz
or see www.theseahorsefarm.co.nz

ac

VIP.AC07

VIP.AC01

NZ AQUACULTURE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 05

EELS DRAW SCIENTIST ACROSS THE OCEANS

found that few of the fertilised eggs hatched. Nor did they
have the correct incubators, as it takes seven to 13 weeks for
the eels to spawn.
Following her appointment to the institute, Dr Kurwie
developed a programme for biological weed and algae control
by hatching and rearing grass carp and silver carp to 250g of
weight. Dr Kurwie has also spent time researching New
Zealand native fish, such as grey mullet.
Earlier in her career, she spent 1999 and 2000 at the Kestrel
Valley Fish Farm breeding and raising ornamental and cold
water fish. She was able to improve egg size and quality, leading
to robust offspring and much higher customer satisfaction.
Dr Kurwie, who has New Zealand nationality, says she is not
in favour of using hormones for native species.We have a
better growth rate in the laboratory and then in the field.
Tagried is in international demand, but she enjoys Mahurangi
because of the challenge.When I first worked with eels I was
even scared to handle them, she says. Now she has bonded
with them and finds the work very satisfying.
Limited funding at the college means compromises often
have to be made.We cant do several trials. Nor can we get
hormones from overseas, she says.Another example is a
broken microscope which sits on a bench. Repairing or
replacing it will cost thousands of dollars, and the decision will
have to be made about whether to spend money
repairing it or use the funds for research.

Dr Tagried
Kurwie

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VIP.AC06

Five years of study into the New Zealand short-finned eel has
yielded a rich reward for Dr Tagried Kurwie and her team at
Mahurangi Technical Institute.
She has finally achieved her goal ofsuccessfully breeding the
New Zealand shortfin eel,Anguilla australis, repeatedly producing
viable ova and hatching them in commercial quantities.
In some ways it has been a labour of love, for she leaves her
husband and three sons behind in England several times a year
to fly to New Zealand and lead the research at the institute.
Dr Kurwie emigrated to New Zealand with her family in
1997 after fleeing Saddam Husseins regime in Iraq. She earned
her doctorate at Aston University in Birmingham in fish
nutrition, in particular the common carp, salmon and rainbow
trout.Tagried is now based in England, and leaves her husband
and family several times a year to fly to New Zealand for
extended periods each eel season.
Japanese aquaculture researchers had previously tried to
breed freshwater eels. In Japan they were fed with dried shark
eggs. It comes as no surprise to hear that these are very
difficult to obtain in New Zealand, so they had to try a
different formula.They experimented with different food
products but found the eels difficult to keep alive, due to the
shape of their mouths.
Another problem was trying to synchronise male and female
eels so they were both sexually productive at the same time. It
took two years to achieve this breakthrough, but last year they

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 05 NZ AQUACULTURE

BREAKTHROUGH

in breeding shortfin eels

BY DAVID COOPER

FROM LEFT:
David
Cooper,
Dr Tagried
Kurwie and
Kim Pierce

10

n a major scientific and technological breakthrough that is

likely to have major economic and conservation benefits,
the aquaculture research team at Mahurangi Technical
Institute has successfully bred the New Zealand shortfin eel,
Anguilla australis.
After five years of trying and a considerable investment in
money, the team, led by Dr Tagried Kurwie, finally achieved its
goal of reliably and repeatedly producing viable ova and
hatching them in commercial quantities.
We were at the point of giving up, she says. If we had
not succeeded this season we would have ended the project,
as we were running out of ideas.
The eel breeding project is the brainchild of Paul Decker,
the director of MTI, who confesses to being aquaculture
crazy.The major breakthrough came on June 30 this year.
Up to this point the team had been able to successfully
mature the adult eels, fertilise the eggs and take them
through to nearly hatching stage, and had been able to
achieve this more or less to order for some time.
However, on this occasion not only did the eel eggs hatch,
they hatched in the thousands, nay tens of thousands. In fact
it was an embarrassment of riches, and the logistical
problem then became what to do with them all.This feat was
repeated later that same week, and Dr Kurwie is now
confident that the procedure can be repeated reliably.
One unforeseen challenge that arose at this point was the
fact that the newly hatched larvae, at less than 2mm and
totally transparent, were almost impossible to see. So much
so that the team is certain that an earlier hatching went
unnoticed, as an empty egg was found at one stage during
microscopic examination of the embryos in a batch
preceding the spectacularly successful ones.

NZ AQUACULTURE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 05

The visibility issue was eventually overcome by using a

black light of the type teenagers often use in their bedrooms
to view fluorescent posters. Incidentally, it is amazing how
silicon air tubing glows in this light. At one point the hatchery
looked more like a 1960s disco than a research laboratory!
As of this writing the larvae have been taken through to
five days old from hatching.This far exceeds any expectations
for this years research project.
The focus now is to raise the larvae through the marine
leptocephalus stage and on to the glass eel stage, which is
when eel farmers take them for rearing. Dr Kurwie is quietly
confident that she can achieve this over the next two years,
and this of course becomes the focus of the research for the
near future.
To this end, the MTI will be seeking interest from potential
investment partners to fund the required research and
development of the process through to full
commercialisation.
This has now got too big and too important to plod along
on our limited budget, and we now need to get serious, says
Decker. It is our preference to try and keep the benefits of
this research in New Zealand as much as possible. However,
we have had serious interest already from overseas, especially
Japan, and we need to keep up the momentum.You can bet
that others are also working in the same area somewhere in
the world and the need to stay one step ahead is
paramount.
The work so far has been carried out in the laboratory at
MTI and in a mini-lab specifically constructed within a
fibreglass shipping container.The plan now is to secure
commercial premises nearby and construct an entire new
facility with the best in containment and filtration equipment.
The feeding trials alone will require 20 different
populations (at least) and therefore 20 different holding
systems.Then there are the holding facilities for the
broodstock, of which there will of course be greater
numbers than previously, plus the laboratory, temperature
control equipment and a never-ending list of bits and bobs.
All this will need to be in place by January 2006, so the team
has a busy time ahead.
One luxury the research team is anticipating is having
enough room to move. As can be imagined, with so much
going on in such a small space there have been considerable
logistical nightmares to contend with.
The responsibility of building and maintaining the new
facility falls to the technicians on this project, Adrian Paarman
and Kim Pierce. Adrian, the head techie, is also the tutor of
the Diploma in Marine Technology. Before joining the MTI,
Adrian was involved for many years in constructing and
installing live seafood-holding systems.

As well as having a firm

Eel hatchling one hour old
Eel hatchling 4 days old
understanding of the biological
and engineering requirements,
Adrian has that rare and valuable
ability to make anything, often
from not much. At present he is
working on our own nuclear
reactor made entirely from string!
Eel hatchling 24 hours old
In addition to caring for the
livestock on a day-to-day basis and assisting Dr Kurwie, Kim
holding tanks are is
Pierce has been documenting the entire project
equipped with an electric
photographically. All the photographs of various adult eels,
fence to keep them in.This
eggs, embryos and larval eels are his.
equipment provides much
The final member of the team is myself, David Cooper.
amusement when visitors
Despite the rather grand title of project manager, my role
have been shocked to
is really to do the paperwork and procure the necessary
discover that we really do
supplies. Its not nearly as much fun as playing with the eels,
mean it when we say there
but I guess somebody has to do it.
is an electric fence around
As with all projects, the support of suppliers and other
the inside edge of the tanks!
organisations has been instrumental in bringing this exercise
There was also the time
this far. In particular we would like to credit Gould
in 2004 when the electric
Aquahaven from Canterbury. Goulds has supplied migrating
fence failed due to a power
eels to the project from day one and has never failed to
cut (it now has a battery
supply good quality, well packaged eels on time.
back-up system). Of course
As a large commercial eel processor and shipper, Goulds
the eels noticed this
must surely rank the MTI as its smallest customer.Yet the
unexpected path to liberty
company has never failed to supply anything other than a
and decided that a mass
quality service and we are grateful for this.
migration to the floor was
Although Paul Decker has largely funded the project to this
in order. As some were
stage, it has received some timely financial support from the
already a little on the stiff
Foundation for Science Research and Technology via a
side by the time the
Technology for Business Growth grant over the last two
situation was discovered, it
years.These funds have made this milestone possible, and
was decided that we
their investment has secured a significant scientific and
needed to get some backeconomic achievement for New Zealand.
up eels, just in case.
Kim Pierce
The TBG grant was made possible by the professional
However, the original eels all recovered well from their
with a very
services of Ian Gray of Ibis Group, who acted as an
adventure, although it did set progress back a bit, and by the
active eel
bent on
investment consultant. His enthusiasm for the project,
time the back-ups arrived they were surplus to requirements.
escape
interest in the whole field of aquaculture and knowledge of
The back-up eels were all quite large, as this was all that
the funding application and reporting procedures (not to
was available at the time, and they would have soaked up a
mention his patience) have been greatly appreciated.
positive fortune in hormones if they had been used in the
As always, there have been many challenges along the way,
research. So it was off to the smokehouse for the new eels,
and some of these have been quite humorous.The adult eeland staff at the MTI were all treated to a sample of the end
product, so to speak!
Internationally, the farming of Anguillid eels is a significant
PAUL DECKER HAS been involved in many aquaculture
industry. Unfortunately, due to the complex nature of the
ventures in New Zealand, most notably the breeding of grass
eels biology, the entire industry relies on wild-caught stocks
carp and silver carp under contract, an activity also carried out
of glass eels and elvers to provide animals for raising.
at the Mahurangi Technical Institute campus in Warkworth.
Of course this resource is under pressure from a degrading
Decker started the MTI in 1990, and the privately owned
environment and pressure of fishing, not to mention
tertiary provider runs mostly marine-based courses and
increasing regulation.The weak point in this industry is
qualifications.
therefore the reliable supply of juveniles to grow on.
The Diploma in Marine Technology, the MTIs leading
According to a recent Australian government report on the
qualification, has a strong focus on training people for the
international eel industry, wild-harvested glass eels currently
aquaculture industry, and the students have undoubtedly
fetch between US$750 per kilo to US$10,000 per kilo.The
benefited greatly from the opportunities offered by being in
world-wide take per year is between 350 and 1150 tonnes!
such a hands on aquaculture environment and so close to
You can see from the above figures that even using the
groundbreaking research.
most conservative estimates, there is considerable
scope for a commercial venture supplying glass eels.

ac

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 05 NZ AQUACULTURE

11

THE IMPORTANCE OF

Good Biosecurity in Salmon Farming

BY DR SCOTT PEDDIE (PATTERSON PEDDIE CONSULTING LTD)
Disinfectant foot
bath and spray
at the entrance
point of a cage
unit. The
footbath is
positioned to
ensure that
staff and visitors
have to walk
through it
before entering
the farm. Dr
Mark Sheppard,
Sakana
Veterinary
Services Ltd,
Canada

Figure 1: Examples of critical control points and the preventative actions required

ood biosecurity is a key feature of responsible

aquaculture wherever it is practised. In many
cases, infectious disease outbreaks have forced
fish farmers to think about the principles of biosecurity and
how it applies to them and their practices. Although New
Zealand salmon farmers are perhaps more fortunate than
most as a consequence of the absence of serious infectious
diseases, farm-level biosecurity is still of the utmost
importance. Indeed, effective biosecurity is essential to
maintain the status quo and guard against disease outbreaks
occurring in the future.
This article explains what biosecurity is, discusses the
advantages of having effective protocols in place at the farm
level, outlines the key elements of a good biosecurity
programme, and emphasises the importance of effective
cleaning and disinfection procedures.
WHAT IS BIOSECURITY?
In simple terms, biosecurity is defined as preventing
pathogens (disease-causing agents) from entering or leaving a
fish-farming unit.The same principles apply within a farm unit,
where the goal is to prevent disease from spreading between
groups (eg from salmon broodstock to smolts reared in the
same locality).
A multitude of financial benefits flow from the
implementation of a comprehensive biosecurity programme.
The most obvious of these include
reduced diseased treatment costs
improved productivity via enhanced fish performance
improved quality of the final product reaching the
marketplace (ie fewer downgrades as a result of visible
lesions and poor external condition), and
enhanced image of the product in the marketplace.
The principles of hazard analysis and critical control point,
or HACCP, are traditionally associated with the food
processing industry. However, primary production sectors,
including aquaculture, commonly use the HACCP approach as
an integral part of biosecurity planning and control.The
HACCP process consists of several steps, the most important
of which are outlined below.
HAZARD ANALYSIS
The key disease hazards in the production process can be
identified by asking the question,Where can pathogens enter
the system? In this respect, one should be cognisant of the
fact that disease can be introduced or transferred by a
multitude of routes, including
equipment and nets
the movement of personnel

12

NZ AQUACULTURE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 05

A farmer
disinfects his
waterproof
clothing
before
entering a
marine
farming unit.
Dr Mark
Sheppard,
Sakana
Veterinary
Services Ltd,
Canada

EFFECTIVE CLEANING AND

DISINFECTING PROCEDURES ARE
CENTRAL TO A GOOD BIOSECURITY
PROGRAMME

boats and vehicles

stock transfer
wild fish and other aquatic life
avian and mammalian predators, and
incoming water supply

CRITICAL CONTROL POINTS

Once the hazards have been identified, action can be taken at
the critical control points to either reduce or eliminate
specific hazards. Some examples of critical control points and
the potential actions that can be put in place to
reduce/eliminate hazards are presented in figure 1.
CRITICAL LIMITS
In this phase of the process, the acceptable limits for each
hazard is determined and documented.
MONITORING
Procedures should be put in place to regularly monitor the
efficacy of cleaning/disinfection procedures. Periodical process
audits by outside agencies is often the most effective way of
doing this.
REMEDIAL ACTION
Instructions should be made available to determine what
remedial action should be taken when critical limits are
not met.

its chemical composition, a

complex topic beyond the
scope of this short article.
CONCLUSION
Biosecurity is a vital
element in the effective
prevention and
management of disease in the fish-farming industry. By
implementing simple HACCP procedures the farmer can help
minimise the risk of disease introduction and transfer. Such a
proactive approach is essential to ensure the continued
financial viability of aquaculture enterprises in New Zealand.
FURTHER READING
Lee C-S and OBryen PJ (2001). Biosecurity in Aquaculture
Production Systems: exclusion of pathogens and other
desirables. World Aquaculture Society.
ISBN 1888807121

ac

UNISEAL

RECORD KEEPING
Comprehensive records should be kept containing details of
the cleaning and disinfection procedures undertaken (ie the
staff involved, timing, chemicals used and outcomes).This stage
is essential to ensure effective auditing.
CLEANING AND DISINFECTING
Effective cleaning and disinfecting procedures are central to a
good biosecurity programme.As the efficacy of a disinfectant is
markedly reduced in the presence of organic matter, the first
step is always to thoroughly clean surfaces and equipment with
an appropriate detergent. Detergents work by
wettening - decreasing surface tension
dispersing - split up dirt particles
emulsifying - floating oil and fat
suspending - floating dirt particles
carrying - of the dirt to waste, and
sequestring - dissolving salts.
As a rule of thumb, removing dirt and debris allows for an
85 percent reduction in the number of micro-organisms
present in any given situation. Once cleaning has taken place,
the disinfectant can act effectively to remove the remaining
pathogens.The mode of action of the disinfectant depends on

VIP.AC07

PLEASE CONTACT:

SHIPWRIGHT
AGENCIES LIMITED

PO Box 37-741, Parnell, Auckland. Ph: 09 524 8639

Fax 09 524 8731 Mob: 021 986 341 Email: sales@uniseal.co.nz
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 05 NZ AQUACULTURE

13

GROWING DEMAND for mussels

BY HENRY KASPAR
MANAGER, AQUACULTURE GROUP, CAWTHRON INSTITUTE

onathan Large of Elaine Bay Aquaculture Ltd and the

New Zealand Mussel Industry Council and I were the
New Zealanders among the 50 delegates at the
second International Mussel Forum. It was held in St Johns,
Newfoundland (Canada) from July 3 to 5.
This article summarises my notes from the marketing
presentations. In a later contribution I will focus on technical
aspects of production.
There is a strong demand in the United States for both fresh
and frozen mussels, and this has been aided by the involvement
of celebrity chefs in promotion.
New Zealand leads the countries
exporting to the US, followed by
Canada (mainly Prince Edward Island)
and Chile.These two countries farm
blue mussels, which are exported to the
US live. Canadians exporting to the US
face a similar exchange rate problem to
the New Zealand industry, and are also
concerned about growing competition
from Chile, both at home and in the US.

VIP.AC01

14

NZ AQUACULTURE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 05

Although the frozen Greenshell mussel is a different product,

US growers of blue and Mediterranean mussels say that the
low GSM price hurts them.
European demand for mussels is also strong.The EU is the
worlds biggest mussel producer, and in addition, it imports 17
percent of its consumption, mainly from Chile.This leaves four
percent of the EU market for GSM.
Consumers worldwide are currently learning about the
health benefits of seafood.This will lead to a growing demand
over many years for mussels, as well as other seafood.
New, convenient products make mussel cooking easier and
consumption more enjoyable. Consumers and the hospitality
trade want longer shelf life, precise portion control, quick and
easy cooking, no drip loss, no mess, and consistent supply,
quality and price.
Modified atmosphere packaging, or MAP, brings all these
benefits, at least to some extent. Mussels stay alive for up to 10
days in a no-leak bag filled with a mixture of oxygen and carbon
dioxide. MAP has quickly become the dominant packaging
method in Belgium and France, Europes largest musselconsuming countries.

IWI HAVE BIG FUTURE

IN AQUACULTURE
The government has appointed Te Ohu Kai Moana, the body responsible for
allocating fishing assets to Maori, to allocate aquaculture space to iwi under
the Maori Commercial Aquaculture Claims Settlement Act passed late last
year. It also signals a change from allocating fishing assets to Maori under
the Treaty of Waitangi.
The Chairman of the TOKM, Shane Jones, says the allocations will not
suffer from the same delays that occurred over the allocations of the
resources of wild fisheries.
It would learn from the experience of its predecessor, the Waitangi
Fisheries Commission.The allocation of this settlement will be efficient and,
depending on when space is transferred from the government, expeditious.
Fisheries Minister David Benson-Pope said on July 27 that the settlement
was an integral part of the Aquaculture Act, and would assist in regional
development.Its clear that iwi are going to play a much greater role in
aquaculture in New Zealand.
TOKM will receive about $1 million to fund allocations to mandated iwi,
the beneficiaries set out in the Maori Fisheries Bill, also passed late last year.
Under the act, Maori get 20 percent of all aquaculture space in New
Zealand, both new or existing.
Jones said the allocated space would first be sought from aquaculture
management areas being created by regional councils. If that does not reach
20 percent,TOKM will consider buying existing marine farms.
The settlement has lifted a cloud of uncertainty from the aquaculture
industry, Benson-Pope said.The certainty will boost investment,
development and employment.

VIP.AC07

Consumers increasingly demand food safety and product

differentiation.These demands can be met with quality schemes
operated by individual companies, countries or regions (for
example, brands, protected designation of origin, eco-labelling),
food safety monitoring (microbiological, biotoxins), and product
traceability. Consumers will respond to these confidencegenerating schemes with more product loyalty.
Production in the traditional mussel-growing areas has been
steady in the past few years and is unlikely to grow as fast as
production in new areas.The US Congress is currently debating
offshore aquaculture legislation.This may well lead to more
mussel production in US national waters and a reduction of the
US seafood deficit of more than $8 billion per year.
Worldwide, industry attention is focusing on areas with good
mussel production potential. Last year, Newfoundland sent a
good portion of its 2300 tonnes of blue mussels to Europe, and
could not keep up with the demand. Newfoundland has large
tracts of water waiting to be developed, and boasts a fast and
hassle-free consent process.
The Netherlands is a major processor and trader of mussels.
Production has been declining and may well fall even more, due
to restrictions on wild spat collection. However, the
Netherlands adds more than 50 percent value to mussels by
packaging them for the retail market!
Why should an aquaculture scientist listen to two days of
marketing presentations? Cawthrons GSM research is increasingly
focused on future product characteristics: a good understanding
of market trends is required for planning long-term research.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 05 NZ AQUACULTURE

15

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