Council rejects fish farm plan

Press, 18 December 1976, Page 3

Council rejects fish farm plan

Proposals b v the Marine Division of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries as to how mussel farms should be established at Akaroa Harbour were not accepted bv the Akaroa < ountv Council at a special meeting vesteday.

Alter criticism had been made of some of the proposals. the council deferred a decision until its January meeting, the chairman (Mr T. J. Brocherie) saying that clarification was needed.

I he County Engineer (Mr K- A. Paulin) referred to discussions bv the council with a Ministry officer, Mr R. D. Cooper, and to a letter from Mr P. W. Currie, ot the Marine Division, in Wellington. “There is a conflict in the information vve have received. and we must have more definite information to go on before anv decisions can be made.” said Mr Paulin. "We have made suggestions in the past, but the Ministry picks the ones it wants to go along with, and neglects the others.”

Mr Brocherie said the type of raft anchor suggested by the Ministry did not appear to be the right one. The Ministry' wanted a mussel farm over perhaps •30 acres, much larger than the council had envisaged.

"It would run from Tikao Bay right into Wainui.” he said. “We will have to be very' careful.”

When Mr Brocherie said that long lines might be preferable to rafts, Mr Paulin said that long lines could be used to grow mussels. but rafts would be needed to work the lines. The letter from Mr Currie gave “suggested guidelines,” proposing a raft farm site of 12ha between Wainui and Tikao “as the most suitable for mussel farming on the basis of present knowledge.” The area, said Mr Currie, would be about 1200 metres bv 100 metres, and 250 metres offshore. The I2ha would support three farms, each of two or three hectares.

He then referred to an application by Mr C. J. Marsh, who had to take two rafts from the harbour after he had moored them without authority from the council as the harbour controlling authority.

Mr Currie said that Mr Marsh’s application covered a sha site at the northern end of the 12ha block. Spatcollecting gear would be put in the harbour at points to be selected and its placement would be the subject of consultations to maintain the safetv of navigation.

He gave an assurance that anv raft or other gear would be constructed, anchored and maintained to standards acceptable to the council and the Marine Division.