Marine 'roadblock' removed

Marine farming aims for exports to grow from $380 million to $1 billion by 2025. Photo / Alan Gibson

Commercial fishing quota holders whose catch will be reduced by new marine farms will be entitled to compensation under changes to aquaculture legislation heard under urgency in Parliament yesterday.

The Government planned to hear the third reading of the Aquaculture Amendment Bill (No 3) last night.

Fisheries Minister Phil Heatley has said the legislation would remove a long-standing "roadblock" for new marine farm applications and provide an efficient framework "that enables marine-based aquaculture to fulfil its economic potential".

The Government saw aquaculture as a key part of its economic growth agenda and the industry is targeting growth in export sales from $380 million to $1 billion by 2025.

The bill comprises amendments to four separate acts, including the Resource Management Act and the Maori Commercial Aquaculture Claims Settlement Act 2004, and will bring all existing farms and applications for farms under a new regime.

Among a number of supplementary order papers, most of which deal with technical aspects of the bill, Mr Heatley has introduced a measure which deals with situations where an applicant for a marine farm cannot reach a voluntary agreement with quota holders who may be affected.

The measure allows applicants to ask for an arbitrator to determine what compensation they should pay to the quota holder.

Before that can happen the arbitrator has to determine that the proposed marine farm is of greater economic value to New Zealand than the affected fishing.

A spokeswoman for Heatley said the bill was being heard under urgency because a number of marine farm applications were pending.

The bill is supported by Labour but opposed by the Greens, who say it does not have sufficiently strong environmental protections.