Taste for Seafood

As the fourth largest coastal fishing zone in the Exclusive Economic Zone, New Zealand produces about one-percent of the world’s fish catch. The EEZ stretches from the Kermadec Islands to the Auckland and Campbell Islands. The industry is represented by the New Zealand Seafood Industry Council which supplies the management and law enforcement of fisheries and the operations research. There is a return investment put into research and development which focuses strongly on environmental issues and concerns. It is the country’s fifth largest exported product and provides New Zealanders with more than 22,000 jobs.

New Zealand is acknowledged for being a world leader in the management of fisheries. Fishing regulations are strict and the Quota Management System ensures quality management of the fisheries. Commercially, over 650,000 tons of seafood is yielded from the coastal water and the EEZ zone every year. Mid and deep-water fish makes up 63% of the harvest.

Aquaculture

Aquaculture is the method of seafood farming which uses on-shore tanks and sea cages for shellfish, fish, and aquatic plants. It is predicted that fifty-percent of global production of seafood will come from the New Zealand system of aquaculture in the next several decades. It currently is an industry worth NZ$320 million dollars a year. Dominating the aquaculture division is Greenshell mussels. The harvesting of King Salmon and Pacific oysters follow in importance. Pearls and farming of abalone is also become fast-growing industries. The environment of New Zealand’s coastal waters are ideal for shellfish aquaculture due to the large quantities of plankton, protected harbors, and sheltered inlets.  Key farming areas for mussels and salmon are found in the Marlborough Sound, Golden Bay, Stewart Island, and the Coromandel. The far North produces the majority of the oyster crop. Aquaculture crop also includes the farming of turbot, kingfish, eels, rock lobster, sea horses, Bluff oysters, geoduck clams, along with seaweeds and sponges.

Poised for Growth

New Zealand’s seafood industry has their sights set on becoming the preferred provider of seafood products in the world market by the year 2010. They already have a solid reputation for producing high quality products, with reliable food safety standards and resource sustainability. Through the use of the Quota Management System, fish supplies are guaranteed to remain consistent to meet the continuing demand of the products with which very few countries can compete. The consistency with supply and demand mixed with New Zealand’s focus on innovation and targeting niche markets, have enabled the country’s industry to gain business in first-class, valuable markets. Additionally, the seafood industry ability to remain self-sufficient, self-funding, and financially strong has increased it reliability and strengthened its perceptions by other nations.

What’s in the Harvest

In addition to the mussels and oyster, shellfish and crustaceans coming from New Zealand include crawfish, known as spiny rock lobster, scallops, clams, crab, and cockles are found in in-shore shallow waters. Inshore fisheries produce snapper, red cod, bluenose, monkfish, tarakihi, warehou, gurnard, trevally, rig, blue moki, flounder, groper, turbot and john dory. Middle-depth fisheries produce hoki, squid, hake, ling, and barracouta.