Third crayfish plant planned

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33065, 4 November 1972, Page 2

Third crayfish plant planned

Plans to establish a third crayfish-pro-cessing plant at Akaroa to supply export and domestic markets were mentioned at a meetof the North Canterbury Catchment Board yesterday, when conditional approval was given for the discharge of waste into Akaroa Harbour.

The board granted Messrs M. 3. McMaster, A. G. Dobbie, A. J. Reid, and B. A. Reid permission to discharge macerated crayfish bodies into the sea below the wharf, but required them to continue investigations with the Akaroa County Council as to alternative means of disposal.

The board called for reports every six months, and told the applicants that the discharge right would terminate within three months of the date of the final classification of the harbour waters.

Mr H. E. Connor said the discharge would be a thick liquid, which attracted herrings, so that not much was left. The board, in hearing submissions, had been a little astonished to learn that there would be three premises ‘cheek by jowl on the wharf, all using the equivalent of household waste-disposal machines” to grind up the crayfish bodies.

In supporting the application, the Akaroa County Council’s chairman (Mr G. P. A. de Latour) had said that the council welcomed the venture for social and economic reasons. The County Engineer (Mr K. A Paulin) would find out whether the waste could be taken into the town sewer and treatment plant. Referring to the classification of the harbour to set pollution standards, Mr Connor said that all the field work had been done and discussions would be held soon with the Health Department No reference was made at the board meeting to discharges from the two existing plants, run by P. Feron

and Sons, Ltd, and Peninsula Fisheries, Ltd, which have been asked to apply for discharge rights. A spokesman for the four applicants dealt with yesterday said that application had been made to the council for a building permit for a 30ft by 12ft sned, to be built as an extension to the wharf. Pile-driving would be involved.