Nursery Promises To Revolutionise Oyster Farming Providing The Potential To Triple Export Earnings

The country's first large scale oyster nursery, which opened in Nelson on Wednesday 10th June is expected to revolutionise the way the delicacy is farmed and provide the platform to treble annual export earnings within the next decade.

Cawthron Institute has invested more than three quarters of a million dollars in the facility at Glenhaven, which will produce up to 50 million, singe seed Pacific Oyster spat annually.

Commercialisation Project Manager, Olin Pilcher, describes the move to commercial spat production as an exciting and critical phase in the development of the oyster industry here.

“New Zealand has been spoilt with its natural resources – in terms of wild spat supply and clean water where they can grow – so it hasn’t seen the same need to innovate as much as the rest of the world. As a consequence we have begun to lag behind places like Australia, which was forced to invest in hatcheries early on, which are now producing 100 million spat for their industry each year.

“Opening our own nursery allows New Zealand to keep up with its global competitors targeting a high value differentiated market with a premium product that is distinctly ‘kiwi’.”

Cawthron has been breeding the baby oysters in its research facility since 1999. It is the only supplier of selectively bred oyster spat in New Zealand but couldn’t keep up with demand using a system designed predominantly to undertake selective breeding protocols.

Olin Pilcher says upscaling and refining their operation means they can now guarantee a ready supply of healthy baby oysters to meet the expanding needs of the industry.

“What we are doing is providing an assurance of single seed Pacific Oyster spat that will not only provide farmers with a reliable source all year round, but also with specific attributes their customers want, ones that add value to the end product, be that shape, size or colour.”

Cawthron expects the move into commercial spat production to open the door to large-scale domesticated oyster farming in this country with more farms and more intensive farming now a real option.

“New technologies and management techniques have proven it is possible to get more production from single seed spat per unit area of farm space which means not only using existing space to greater advantage, but also the ability to move into deeper water areas to create new farms.”

Currently, most juvenile oysters farmed in New Zealand are gathered from wild stocks, which cluster on spawning sticks submerged in Northland’s Kaipara Harbour.

Olin Pilcher likens it to a bit like “ranching in a marine environment” where farmers effectively stick the spat out there and let what happens happen with varying success.

“No-one would think of going out these days to catch wild cows to milk. Just as we’ve domesticated dairying with the introduction of selectively bred lines, this is where the aquaculture industry also needs to go.”

Though he accepts it is not simply about converting from traditional to single seed farming and throwing the sticks out.

“Hatchery spat presents the consumer with a superior product. The increased value needs to be reflected at marine farmer’s gate if they are to invest the money and effort to grow the better product.”

Cawthron’s hatchery is seen as a significant platform for growth in the industry with the potential to treble export earnings from $40 million to $120 million a year.

Though Cawthron’s Commercial and Investment Manager Daryl Wehner, accepts any impact won’t be felt overnight.

“While we can guarantee sufficient spat to meet farmers needs ultimately, for that to be achieved, industry needs to commit to reducing its reliance on wild stock and moving into fully domesticated farming, which has the potential to be a much more valuable, marketable, superior product.”

Cawthron acknowledges the contribution of the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology (FRST), which has provided quarter of a million dollars towards the commercialisation project.

For more information:

Gillian Wratt
Chief Executive, Cawthron Institute
Phone: (03) 539 3270

Olin Pilcher
Commercialisation Project Manager, Cawthron Institute
Phone: (03) 545 0127