Government backs industry and science initiative

Government backs industry and science initiative

The Foundation for Research, Science and Technology has announced investment of nearly NZ$2.8 million in the development of innovative fishing technologies that will lead to a more humane and productive capture of New Zealand wildfish species.

The “Wildfish 2020” project proposed by Crop & Food Research and industry partners, including New Zealand’s major fishing companies, is expected to deliver $NZ149 million a year in increased export revenue by 2020.

Crop & Food Research CEO Mark Ward says the government investment backs substantial investment already made by his company in the wild fish sector. “Crop & Food Research has been directing its seafood investment and R&D programmes towards building New Zealand’s reputation for high quality seafoods harvested sustainably from New Zealand waters.”

“This project will develop new trawling technologies that are based on understanding fish physiology and behaviour. Better fish-capture technologies will reduce losses during capture and ensure higher quality raw materials enter the seafood value chain.”

Lower intensity fishing practices and technology focused on the tolerances of fish have the potential to avoid tissue damage sustained by exhausted fish.
Mr Ward says the aim of the project is to underpin a paradigm shift in the way New Zealanders appreciate, manage, use and gain value from our wild fisheries.
“Our quota management system is considered superior to most but this research shows real government and industry commitment to continued new thinking about our wild fish resource.”

Additional background

Despite increasing international demand for whitefish, NZ companies must work within a quota system that limits the amount of fish that can be harvested in any one year, thus ensuring the long term sustainability of wild fish stock. In order to achieve growth within this context there is a need to add value to product and to ensure maximum value is derived from those fish able to be caught. “Wildfish 2020” is a project that has the backing of industry because it will not only deliver higher quality fish and improve yields but it will also reduce the environmental impacts of fishing and allow for the resource to be managed sustainably.

NZ currently harvests and exports wild fish with an export value of $ 870m pa, of which about $530m pa is from midwater trawled fisheries, $170m pa from squid and $170m pa from inshore fisheries.

NZ provides only 2% of international trade in seafood ($1.2b pa total revenue to NZ) but seafood is NZ’s 5th biggest export earner.

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