Two-year ban on new marine farms as Government mulls reform

By KEVIN TAYLOR

The Government yesterday slapped a two-year moratorium on new marine farms.

The ban was announced alongside details of a reform of marine farming rules, intended to make the approval process for the $280 million-a-year industry clearer and more effective.

The moratorium is to stop a speculative rush of consent applications before the Government passes its reform law, and covers most existing and all new applications.

A bill will be introduced next April to reform controls on an industry which is predicted to triple in value by 2020.

But another special law - which will apply retrospectively from yesterday - will be introduced before the end of this year to enforce the moratorium.

The industry's body, the Aquaculture Council, said last night that the ban was unexpected but not surprising.

Executive officer Graeme Coates said he was reserving comment on the moratorium until he saw more details.

He said the council supported the Government's plans to rationalise the array of laws governing the coastal marine environment, many of which affected aquaculture.

There was a real conflict for the industry in the two main laws governing marine farming - the Resource Management Act and the Fisheries Act.

Fisheries Minister Pete Hodgson and Environment Minister Marian Hobbs said the shortcomings in the present law were creating problems for managing the industry.

Mr Hodgson said there was immense potential for growth from marine farming, which was already worth more than $280 million in sales and employed 7000 people.

He said the Government had identified means to support the industry's sustainable development without undermining the rights of others.

Marine farming in coastal waters had greatly increased in recent years.

"The future development of such a valuable resource needs to be managed carefully and the moratorium will allow much-needed planning to take place."

Other proposed changes include:

* Allowing regional councils to restrict aquaculture to defined "Aquaculture Management Areas".

* Introducing a single-permit process.

* Managing approvals under the Resource Management Act.

The ministers said the lack of clear law and effective processes had caused an overload of marine farm applications, resulting in higher processing costs and poor environmental results.

The ban has delighted an objector to plans for 10 mussel farms at Port Fitzroy, on Great Barrier Island. Tony Bouzaid said yesterday that the farms were an eyesore and would cut anchorage space in the only typhoon-proof harbour in the Hauraki Gulf.

He said there were now applications lodged with regional councils around the country for mussel farms covering thousands of hectares.

Valmaine Toki, an Aucklander helping applicants behind two of the farms proposed at the port, said she could not comment on the ban without seeing more details.

Mussels make up most of the New Zealand aquaculture industry's earnings, although king salmon and oysters are playing an increasingly large role.

The reform plans follow consultation last year by the fisheries and environment ministries that attracted 242 submissions.