Mussel farming may be worth $6m

Press, 8 July 1976, Page 26

Mussel farming may be worth $6m

An industry which could be worth about $6 million to New Zealand by the early 1980 s is being developed in the Marlborough Sounds. It is the mussel farming industry, and officials who have been working on the project anticipate it will have the potential to supply both New Zealand and overseas markets. Research into mussel farming in the Sounds has been thorough, for the last three years the Fishing Industry Board has conducted a programme in Pelorus Sound, near Havelock, and now, a breeding ground has been established in Crail Bay. In Crail Bay prospective farmers have gathered a potential crop of immature mussels weighing 30,000 lb. At harvest, they could yield up to $1 million. However each farmer has first to select a site in the Sounds to grow the crop, and apply to the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries for a farming licence. This year has been a good one for the collection of spat, and the Marlborough Sounds mussel farmers are anxious that the licences be granted as soon as possible so there are no delays in maturing the crop. The mussel grown m the Sounds is the green mussel, and it is the fastest growing tn the world, reaching a length of four inches in 18 months. Other countries farming mussels ! can only grow the blue! mussel. A great deal of research! has also been done to! determine t.„ best methods! by which mussels can be, caught and farmed. Although it is a labour intensive job, the system j used in the Sounds is less I capital intensive, and does | not present the hazard to I shipping it does in more open waters. Environmentally, mussel farming is ideal for the Sounds, as it is quite visually acceptable. It will only be limited to a few sheltered areas in the Sounds, and there is no danger of intensive marine farming spreading over the whole area. Most people involved in mussel farming agree it can only benefit the Marlborough Sounds. And provided the farming is done correctly when the individual farms are established, they say it would be rea-l sonable to expect an in-f dustry worth between $4! million and $6 million in j the next five years.