Whirlwind royal tour showcases world-class science

5 November 2015

Whirlwind royal tour showcases world-class science

Nelson research organisations the Cawthron Institute and Plant & Food Research will showcase how their science is helping produce sustainable seafood to feed the world when His Royal Highness Prince Charles visits on Saturday.

“The world’s population is going to hit 9 billion in 2050. That’s 2.4 billlion more than today. How will we feed everyone without putting more pressure on the planet?” Cawthron Institute Aquaculture Group Manager Jacquie Reed says.

“For the past 20 years a key focus for our scientists has been farmed seafood - that’s because it’s a route to quality food production and a sustainable solution to feeding the world. We’re working alongside farmers from source to export to ensure growing waters are safe and pure, minimising environmental impacts, breeding stronger, healthier and higher value fish and shellfish, and proving the health benefits in everything from mussels to algae.”

It is well known that Prince Charles is a supporter of environmental research of the sort Cawthron excels at. During his hour-long visit of Cawthron’s Halifax Street site and laboratories, the Prince will enjoy an interactive and entertaining tour of the science behind sustainable seafood, and meet some of its leading scientists working in the marine science, algae and aquaculture space.

In the lab with Dr Mike Packer, he’ll find out about the power of algae as a superfood, biofuel and source of food for aquaculture species. He’ll also get a chance to make algae generate electricity from Nelson’s famed sunshine.

Once out of the lab, he’ll get a chance to meet Cawthron’s leading aquaculture scientists, Drs Serean Adams and Kevin Heasman and get up close with New Zealand’s iconic Greenshell™ mussel, including seeing 2-day old baby mussels darting around under the microscope. He’ll also find out about Cawthron’s work with new aquaculture species and watch the world’s first New Zealand scampi raised in a hatchery.

Next stop, Plant & Food Research will show the Prince the award winning revolutionary fishing technology, Precision Seafood Harvest (PSH). The PSH system will deliver sustainability and value-add benefits, and is being commercialised by Sealord, Sanford and Aotearoa Fisheries Ltd with support from the Ministry for Primary Industries. The Prince will meet with the inventor of the PSH technology, Alistair Jerrett, and hear first hand how the idea developed from concept to reality. He will also have the opportunity to discuss the benefits of the PSH system with Raymond Armstrong, skipper of the Sealord vessel FV Aukaha, and get up close and personal with some of the young snapper reared at Plant & Food’s Maitai Finfish facility.

Finally, marine scientist Dr Chris Cornelisen will take the Prince on a virtual tour of New Zealand’s coasts and oceans and explain how Cawthron scientists are using satellite data and live data from Cawthron’s hi-tech buoys to understand and monitor ocean health and ecosystems.

Cawthron Chief Executive Professor Charles Eason says he is extremely proud to be able to host the Prince and is looking forward to sharing his team’s exciting science with him.

“It’s not every day you get a royal visit, so we want to make sure it’s one the Prince remembers and, most importantly, enjoys.”

ENDS

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