Fishing industry giant Sanford wants to create a seafood market on Auckland's waterfront to rival Sydney's famous tourist attraction.
If it goes ahead, the $12 million project will mean demolishing most of the buildings that Sanford now occupies near the America's Cup team bases.
A fish auction, restaurants and retailerswill be housed in two new buildings on the site, which could be completed in 18 months.
Sanford is modelling its proposal on Sydney's successful fish market.
Talks have been held with other big players in the industry to work out if the idea is financially sound.
"We need them to buy in to get the whole thing up and running," says Sanford managing director Eric Barratt. "We've done a lot of analysis of Sydney, and it looks at this stage like the market would be viable."
Mr Barratt said Seamart would be targeted as a key tenant, although its owner, Vojo Krtolica, said he was not sure if he would take part.
Two potential partners for the development are Moana Pacific Fisheries and Simunovich Fisheries. Both are keen on the project.
"If it makes economic and strategic sense, then we will definitely be involved," said Moana Pacific chief executive Bruce Young.
The market would include a "Dutch auction" - a silent auction that operates by using a giant clock counting backwards.
It begins auctioning a crate of fish for a high price, and bidders press a button to stop the clock when it reaches the amount they want to pay.
The system is used in Sydney, and Sanford believes that it can be adapted to accommodate internet bidders.
A slowdown in the illegal fish trade could be a spinoff from the market, because more fish would be available.
"We have a man charged with selling our fish outside the door, and he always has a limited amount of fish but a long queue," Mr Barratt said. "It creates the potential for favourites, which this will eliminate."
Restaurant owners are happy that more fish will be available but are worried that prices might go up for popular species.
Mr Barratt agreed that this might happen but said a lot more species could be introduced at the market.
"There are over 100 species caught in New Zealand waters but most people have heard of only five," he said. "At the moment most of the other stuff is being exported."
