The ministry has taken this decision to decline the applications of potential aquaculture areas in Golden and Tasman bays at the top of the South Island has brought the marine farmers against commercial fishermen. Dan Lees, Fisheries Ministry aquaculture manager, told that the proposed aquaculture areas would affect snapper and scallop fisheries but he would welcome evidence to the contrary.
Lees also informed that an agreement between fishing interests and marine farmers to share the resources could affect the final decision. Graeme Coates, Marine Farming Association executive director, hoping for some agreement which could solve the face off. In New Zealand there are other aquaculture areas that had agreements over usage with commercial fishermen, but not in areas affecting the major interests of big fishing companies.
According to Lees such agreements would benefit the industry. He added that there were already 8000ha of permitted aquaculture in the area was misleading. Andrew Talley, director of New Zealand’s third largest fishing company Talleys Fisheries, told he was not optimistic about an agreement. He said that there are wild fishermen who have their marine farming in the wrong areas.
