NZ edges closer to sustainably-farmed whitebait with new project

New Zealand has edged closer to making land-based commercial whitebait farming a reality, with the launch a major new pilot project today.

Led by Manāki Whitebait, and to be based from the former Ocean Beach Freezing Works in Bluff, the programme aims to translate years of painstaking research into helping create a year-round, sustainable supply of what’s an increasingly threatened native species.

The company - owned by Tahu Whaoa Group Holdings, the commercial arm of the Ngāti Tahu-Ngāti Whaoa Runanga Trust – has matched nearly $1m in funding from the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), with further support from the Bluff Ocean Beach site.

Staff at Mānaki Whitebait, a new Bluff-based venture that aims to help make land-based commercial whitebait farming a reality for New Zealand. Photo / Supplied

Manāki’s Paul Decker, who led the project with Dr Tagrid Kurwie, said the effort began with an aspiration to restore and enhance the native species that make up the whitebait catch.

“The basis for this project started 15 years ago within Mahurangi Technical Institute, researching breeding techniques for all five of the whitebait species initially for conservation purposes,” he said.

“This led to recognising the potential of giant kokopu as a commercial aquaculture species.”

His team later managed to successfully breed all five species, four of which were endangered.

“We identified the giant kōkopu (Galaxias argenteus) as the only commercially viable species, and now have 50,000 breeding adult giant kōkopu whitebait,” he said.

“This is extraordinary, given the Department of Conservation estimates up to 80,000 giant kōkopu whitebait adults in the wild.”

It had been an “enormous undertaking” to get to this point, he said.

“Breeding these species outside of their natural habitat starts by having a solid understanding of the biology and ecology of the species and designing a recirculating aquaculture system to their specific requirements.

“This includes tailored chilling, waterflow rates, filtration and feeding to ensure optimal fish health and welfare.

Whitebait eggs are pictured in an incubator at Manāki Whitebait, a new Bluff-based venture that’s received nearly $1m in Government funding toward helping create a new industry to sustainably farm the species on land year-round. Photo / Supplied

“There was no recipe book to follow, being the first to succeed in captive breeding of the species meant that we had to invent everything.”

Key focus areas included fertilisation techniques, incubation system design, seasonal breeding manipulation and optimal feed types and volumes.

“We have successfully bred all of our own broodstock that supply the eggs and milt for commercial whitebait production facility in Bluff,” Decker said.

“These broodstock numbers have been building since our first successful largescale hatch in 2012, with these original fish still an active and crucial part of our current breeding programme.”

But the team still faced challenges in the space: namely refining aquaculture techniques to be more cost, time and effort efficient.

“We are also working to increase the accuracy of seasonal manipulation of the broodstock for year-round supply of whitebait.”

Decker said the Bluff facility would testing egg fertilisation rates, hatch rates, harvest ratios, biomass, and water change levels to achieve optimum survival and optimum feed.

“We’ll also work on developing a marketing plan and setting up supply chains.”

Ahead of water itself, the biggest expense for commercially producing whitebait in giant tanks was electricity, to ensure optimum water temperature.

“We decided to relocate to Bluff as there’s already a licensed fish facility there with easy access to freshwater and seawater.

“This is essential for breeding whitebait as we need to be able to replicate their journey from river to the ocean.”

MPI’s director of investment programmes, Steve Penno, said the project supported many of the goals set out in the Government and food and fibre sector’s Fit for a Better World roadmap, which aimed to lift productivity, sustainability and job growth.

“It also fits with the Government’s Aquaculture Strategy, which has a goal of $3 billion in annual sales by 2035 following a sustainable growth pathway and using innovation to add value.”

Decker said the Government funding – coming through MPI’s Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund - had fast-tracked the pilot project significantly.

“We’re aiming to supply fresh whitebait for consumption from February 2023. Without Government support it would have taken us years to reach this point.”