NZ King Salmon makes social media appeal for open ocean farm support

The company has included a link to its website in posts on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn and urges people to use it “to help support us on this exciting journey”.

NZ King Salmon’s application for a 35-year resource consent for its “Blue Endeavour” farm 7km north of Cape Lambert was publicly notified by Marlborough District Council on Friday, October 18.

The closing date for public submissions about the application is December 9, and the company is hoping members of the public will show their support for the plan. Details of how to do so are on the website.

First harvest in 2022

“If the application for the 1,792 hectare site is approved, we intend to commission an initial farm with the potential to grow approx. 4,000 tonnes of King (chinook) salmon. A secondary farm would then follow and produce an equivalent amount. NZKS currently produces 8,000 tonnes per year of salmon,” states NZ King Salmon on its website.

“We expect a hearing will be held in early 2020, with the hope of resource consent granted by mid-2020. If successful we intend to have the farm commissioned in 2021, with a first harvest in 2022/23.

“We have already met with a wide range of groups, including iwi (Maori communities), fishing companies, Department of Conservation, Forest and Bird, the Environmental Defence Society and local community groups and invite anyone wanting to know more to come and meet with us.”

It adds: “We look forward to your support on this challenging, but exciting journey.”

‘The future of salmon farming’

The company explains that open ocean farming in deeper, less sheltered, high energy surface waters with stronger currents “is the future of salmon farming, not only in New Zealand but globally”.

It adds: “We sincerely believe this initiative will provide a positive boost to the Top of the South’s future and we hope that you will support us in our application. In addition to environmental and social benefits, the open ocean farms proposed will deliver many green jobs to the Top of the South region (the north of New Zealand’s South Island).

“Salmon farming in the open ocean will certainly be more challenging weather-wise, but will also bring benefits of higher-flow, deeper and cooler waters well away from land. After 30 years of farming King salmon, we know the optimal conditions for raising this rare species. Climate change is very real and we have felt its impact in the Marlborough Sounds over recent summers. We will continue to farm in the Sounds, but the open ocean opportunity is crucial to our long-term sustainability efforts. After a significant amount of monitoring, we believe we’ve chosen the best site possible.”

The company says it is also working positively with the government to relocate several farms within the Sounds to higher flow waters.