Mussel-farming site not settled yet

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 34027, 16 December 1975, Page 5

Mussel-farming site not settled yet

IFrom Our Own Reporter) WELLINGTON. * Plans to establish a mussel-farming industry in Akaroa will move a step closer when the applicant for a marine farm lease and licence. Mr ( . .1. Marsh, of Orari, and the Akaroa County Council agree on a site in the harbour. Mr Marsh applied in August. 1974, for “a iease/licence of an area of five acres m Akaroa harbour (Titoki Bay, Lucas Bay and Lucas Peak Point) for 14 years to farm; green mussel, with the possi-l bility of oysters.” The application was made; to the Fisheries Management! Division of the Ministry of; Agriculture and Fisheries! which, in concert with the! Ministry of Transport, is the; licensing authority. The Minister (then Mr: Moyle) responded to the application by requiring Mr Marsh to choose just one instead of several sites. He chose a site just south of Tikao Bay on the western side of the harbour. Mr Marsh was then advised to approach the Akaroa Harbourmaster to discuss ac ceptable specifications for'

I marking the site, and found' i there were two harbour-1 masters involved — Mr W. F.'i Sheward for Akaroa Harbour: . and the honorary harbour- i master of Tikao Bay (Mr L.|] A. Wright). TWO PROBLEMS During Mr Marsh’s dis-, ', missions with the two; ■ harbourmasters and the Akaroa County Engineer (Mr K. ■ A. Paulin; two problems came to light. The site he had chosen: was in the middle of a yachtracing course and was also, within a few hundred metres of a site from which the! Akaroa County Council intends to discharge sewage. Either problem would probably render the site unsuitable to the Ministry, on ithe grounds that the mussels ■ might fail to meet health! .requirements and that the) Jmussel rafts “not interfere! [unduly with navigation or sport in the vicinity.” Mr Paulin wrote to the [two harbour masters for! ..their views, advising them) that — generally — the Aka-i ’ roa County Council was in-i uterested in fostering new in-i ' dustry in the area and that •jthe council would make an effort to help establish marline farming in the harbour if possible. He said the ’■ health and yachting probr'lems m ight prevent Tikao!

;Bay being acceptable, even lif ‘in other aspects it was 'the. best site available. Mr Paulin advised the [Ministry that Mr Sheward! [had investigated the possibility of a marine farm and lother possible sites, and was of the opinion that mussel) ‘farming could be conducted.! NOT AGREED It appeared that an area; [south of Wainui or the Kaikj was perhaps the only area! where mussel farming could) [be conducted without prob-) lems of vandalism to the! ;mussel rafts or conflict with) inormal boating activity, ac-; [cording to Mr Sheward. [ Mr Marsh has not agreed, so far that his Tikao Bay site: would conflict with health or) boating requirements, but he) has been told by the Fisher-j ies Management Division to! [go back to the Akaroa’ [County Council to reach a [compromise, before the can be granted, j The Akaroa County Counjcil is constituted as the harfbour board, and the Ministry Swill not overrule a harbour [board decision. Both the Minister of Agriculture and Fishjeries and the Minister of (Transport — who have the ultimate power to grant licences — would have to be absolutely satisfied that a 1 harbour board’s objections were groundless and would have to be able to prove it tin court.