Permit fee hike angers marine farmers

Marlborough marine farmers are crying foul at a potential hike in the cost of processing their permits.

They claim the work done by the Ministry of Fisheries (MFish) to assess the permits "doubles up" on work paid for by applicants and is another blow to the struggling aquaculture industry.

Costs related to permits for Forsyth Bay, the first of 13 areas in the Marlborough Sounds to be assessed under the ministry's new Fisheries Research Impact Assessment (FRIA) system are estimated by marine farmers to run to $400,000, to be divided among the bay's 18 applicants.

MFish acting senior fisheries management adviser Daniel Lees said the estimated $10,000 per applicant cost was a reasonable charge for the work done.