Moananui – Blue Economy Cluster
Project start: 23 March 2023
Project length: 2 years
MPI funding: $500,000
Industry funding: $400,000
Industry partner: Nelson Regional Development Agency
Region: Nelson Tasman
This project will establish a blue economy cluster to help ocean-related businesses in the Nelson Tasman region accelerate their growth and boost jobs. The cluster aims to leverage the region as a world-leading ecosystem for developing and commercialising the ocean economy sustainably.
Government media release: New project set to supercharge ocean economy in Nelson Tasman
Prototype app for mussel farm management
Project start: 9 February 2023
Project length: 1 Year
MPI funding: $43,000
Industry funding: $72,600
Industry partner: Code and Caviar Limited
Region: Nationwide
The project will gather data from green-lipped mussel (Perna canaliculus) farms for a prototype application (Mussel App) to enable data-driven decision making around farm operations. If successful, the Mussel App will lead to improved resilience, increased productivity, and ultimately an increase in revenue.
Shell (kota) waste to value
Project start: 25 October 2022
Project length: 2 years
MPI funding: $170,533
Industry funding: $255,800
Industry partner: Transition Technologies Limited
Region: National
The project will investigate the potential for production of pharmaceutical grade Precipitated Calcium Carbonate (PCC) from waste bivalve shell such as mussel and oyster shells from major New Zealand seafood processors.
Breeding for thermotolerant King salmon in Aotearoa
Project start: 30 September 2022
Project length: 3 years
MPI funding: $249,500
Industry funding: $383,700
Industry partner: The New Zealand King Salmon Co Limited
Region: Nelson/Marlborough
This project aims to develop and test the methodology to allow the targeted breeding of King salmon in elevated water temperatures.
Pelagics 2030
Project start: 2 August 2022
Project length: 30 months
MPI funding: $825,690
Industry funding: $550,460
Industry partner: Pelco NZ Limited
Region: Bay of Plenty
In New Zealand some pelagic fisheries are sizeable and their sustainability status is unknown. This project aims to both advance industry practice, and determine the sustainability of these fisheries by developing new management tools and data capture technologies. Jack mackerel and blue mackerel are key focus species. The project aims to support fishery operations with robust information, enable better decision making, and provide certainty.
Pilot development of marine farming systems for Asparagopsis
Project start: 5 July 2022
Project length: 23 months
MPI funding: $850,530
Industry funding: $1,789,313
Industry partner: CH4 Aotearoa
Region: Northland
This project will pilot inshore cultivation of Asparagopsis, a red microalgae that can reduce methane emissions from cattle by up to 90 per cent. Asparagopsis will be processed and supplied to researchers, establishing and testing supply chains that can inform future commercial supply. The project will also expand a research and development centre that will examine the drivers of Asparagopsis quality and yields.
Pāua biomass restoration
Project start: 4 July 2022
Project length: 3 years
MPI funding: $50,000
Industry funding: $47,000
Industry partner: PauaMAC 7 Industry Association Incorporated
Region: West Coast, Marlborough and Tasman
This project aims to investigate the factors limiting pāua recruitment and fishery productivity in the PAU7 fishery, at the top of the South Island. It will involve dive work and environmental monitoring of the PAU7 aquatic environment. This will underpin a recovery strategy for the fishery.
Unrealised Potential
Project start: 1 July 2022
Project length: 3 years
MPI funding: $4,635,377
Industry funding: $4,848,127
Industry partner: Precision Seafood Harvesting Ltd (Sealord, Sanford, Aotearoa Fisheries, Plant & Food Research)
Region: Nationwide
Unrealised Potential builds on the outcomes of the Precision Seafood Harvesting Primary Growth Partnership programme. It aims to complete research to validate the benefits of the Modular Harvest System (MHS) technology on species survivability, selectivity and quality. It will then commercialise a prototype technology to improve data collection from the in-trawl environment and enable further reductions in unintended catch mortality, including protected species. As well as gaining approval for additional species and fishing areas, the programme will seek commercialisation opportunities including manufacturing and distribution for the MHS both domestically and within key international markets.
Kiwi technology safeguarding fish stocks offers global opportunity
Outcome logic model [PDF, 136 KB]
Precision Seafood Harvesting Primary Growth Partnership programme
Greenshell mussel powder quality standards
Project start: 6 May 2022
Project length: 1 year
MPI funding: $60,000
Industry funding: $35,000
Industry partner: Aquaculture New Zealand, Cawthron Institute and Greenshell Mussel Powder producers
Region: Nationwide
Working in partnership with producers and Cawthron, Aquaculture New Zealand will develop a set of science-based quality assurance standards for Greenshell mussel powder. This will safeguard a uniquely New Zealand product and demonstrate authenticity within the market. It will also build customer and consumer confidence across high value domestic and international markets.
Developing FLUPSY-based nursery culture to reduce spat losses in the Greenshell mussel aquaculture industry
Project start: 12 May 2022
Project length: 3 years
MPI funding: $472,000
Industry funding: $318,000
Industry partner: Coromandel Marine Farmers’ Association
Region: Nationwide
This project will build on previous research to scale up a system for nurturing mussel spat in floating upswelling systems (FLUPSYs). FLUPSYs are barge-like nurseries for rearing spat to larger sizes to reduce spat loss when they are seeded out to mussel farms.
Project Nautilus: Next-gen aquaculture
Project start: 2 May 2022
Project length: 6 years
MPI funding: $6,721,000
Industry funding: $10,085,000
Industry partner: Mount Cook Alpine Salmon Ltd
Region: South Island
This programme will develop a prototype for New Zealand’s first sustainable, land-based salmon farm. It will also trial growing Sockeye salmon in an aquaculture environment for the first time in New Zealand, and develop a new ready-to-eat processing standard for finfish.
October 2022 to December 2022 – Project Nautilus progress report [PDF, 192 KB]
January to September 2022 - Project Nautilus progress report [PDF, 185 KB]
Media release: MPI backs innovative land-based salmon farm
Gravity fishing
Project start: 12 April 2022
Project length: 2 years
MPI funding: $120,437
Industry funding: $86,400
Industry partner: Gravity Fishing Limited
Region: Southland and Wairarapa
This project will trial the Gravity Fishing method and determine its feasibility compared to conventional methods. The Gravity Fishing method is hook and line fishing and supports sustainable, traceable and transparent fishing. Customers order their fish online, which is then delivered directly to the customer, from hook to plate. The project will evaluate and update the online ordering platform to ensure it is fit for purpose.
Commercial Production of ZealaFoam Packaging
Project start: 30 November 2021
Project length: 2 years
MPI funding: $472,500
Industry funding: $698,500
Industry partner: Barnes Plastics, Ngāi Tahu Seafood, Sanford, Fiordland Lobster
Region: Nationwide
This project aims to make ZealaFoam® available as a viable, sustainable packaging alternative for the seafood industry (and other primary producers), which currently extensively uses Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) packaging for transportation of fresh produce.
Eco-packaging for seafood industry
Estuary bioremediation: Pilot trial of land-based seaweed and aquaculture for bioremediation of diffuse source nutrients
Project start: 8 November 2021
Project length: 2 years
MPI funding: $697,562
Industry funding: $297,840
Industry partner: AgriSea
Region: Waikato
This project will trial the effectiveness of land-based seaweed aquaculture for estuary bioremediation. A pilot-scale facility will pump water from the Waihou River through an aquaculture system containing seaweed. The water will be discharged back into the river while the seaweed is harvested and tested to assess its bioremediation capabilities. The harvested seaweed biomass will be assessed for suitability for applications such as bio-stimulants.
Land-based seaweed trial a nationwide first – Government media release
GreenWave: Regenerative ocean farming seaweed pilot
Project start: 20 October 2021
Project length: 3 years
MPI funding: $1,993,920
Industry funding: $3,016,244
Industry partner: EnviroStrat Limited
Region: Waikato, Bay of Plenty
This project will pilot end-to-end commercial seaweed farming in New Zealand using a community model already developed in the United States. The pilot will include hatchery, farming and processing facilities. This will be a first step towards sustainable seaweed farming in New Zealand, and the creation of a blue carbon and nitrogen market.
Media release: Pilot project aims to establish commercial seaweed farming sector in New Zealand
Automated identification and measurement of legally released fish
Project start: 22 March 2021
Project length: 2 years
MPI funding: $308,902
Industry funding: $77,844
Industry partner: Fisheries Inshore New Zealand
Region: Nationwide
This project will develop a tool that combines cameras, machine learning and artificial intelligence to automatically measure fish released at sea. This will help to improve catch reporting and support a better understanding of the size composition of fish stocks, as well as improving the overall health of fish stocks.
Recreational fishing self-reporting system
Project start: 7 March 2021
Project length: 3 years
MPI funding: $120,000
Industry funding: $113,000
Industry partner: Fish Mainland
Region: South Island
This project will develop a self-reporting app for recreational fishers in the South Island Blue Cod Fishery, creating more reliable statistics and data regarding trends in catch and effort for blue cod and bycatch. Information provided will help to ensure the sustainability of the fishery and will better inform management decision making for the shared fishery.
New app to help recreational fishers – Stuff
