10 | Manāki Premium Marine Technology T T Kim Newth Whitebait farming venture scaling up Bluff was chosen as the ideal location for the venture, as whitebait species do better in cooler water. “We started with a little stream in Ōrewa and have done four or five now in different places. Every one of our releases, when you look back at the results, have been 100% successful.” REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Kiwis love their whitebait fritters, and now there’s a way to enjoy them without worrying about the ecological impacts as sustainable farm fresh whitebait come on to the menu. Following a successful pilot trial, Manāki Premium Marine Technology Ltd is stepping up their sustainable New Zealand whitebait farm operation in Bluff with plans to produce in excess of 12 tonnes in 2025. “We’ll be the biggest fish farm on the planet in terms of fish numbers,” says Manāki director Paul Decker with a chuckle, noting that the individual juvenile native fish that comprise whitebait are very small. Bluff was chosen as the ideal location for the venture, as whitebait species do better in cooler water. An added draw card is Bluff’s thriving aquaculture centre of excellence. Based at the former Ocean Beach meat processing plant, the centre is turning into a real hub of aquaculture expertise and knowledge. Several other species are already being farmed there including pāua and seaweed – “and even salmon, with a land-based salmon farm being developed there”. Paul has fond childhood memories of raising native fish in ponds on his family’s farm in Queensland. It was a seminal experience that set his future course in aquaculture consultancy and education. He later joined forces with aquaculture scientist Dr Tagried Kurwie and the team at Mahurangi Technical Institute in Warkworth to successfully hatch New Zealand whitebait species in captivity for the first time. The push behind that incredible breakthrough was an aspiration to restore and enhance Aotearoa’s native whitebait species, which have been declining rapidly over recent years. Four of the five species are now considered as “threatened” by the Department of Conservation. Having honed their abilities as a conservation hatchery breeding all five whitebait species, Paul says he and the team then realised they could scale up their farm processes to be commercially viable. Iwi investors have swung in behind the venture, the first of its kind in New Zealand, and Paul says the local iwi in Bluff have also been incredibly encouraging. “Manāki” is the Māori word for caring for and supporting others. The Manāki Whitebait brand name reflects the view that providing good food plays an important role in being a good host, and it also encompasses protection of the environment. Manāki is not just raising whitebait for the table. Their breeding programme is helping support threatened species through carefully managed releases. Hundreds of whitebait fish, raised in captivity by Manāki, have already been released back into the wild. “We started with a little stream in Ōrewa and have done four or five now in different places. Every one of our releases, when you look back at the results, have been 100% successful.” Through trial and error, the team determined that the giant kōkopu is the most commercially viable whitebait species to farm. Paul says they are on track to achieve a 100% feed conversion rate. From the end consumer perspective, Paul says the good news is that this single whitebait species tastes just as good as five in a fritter. At the Bluff farm, the breeding fish live in 1500L tanks while larger 10,000L tanks are used to raise the offspring. “Each fish only produces eggs once a year, but we can manipulate the environment across the tanks so as to produce fresh sustainable whitebait all year round.” To date, Manāki’s commercial output has been used for promotional purposes and to supply select functions, as well as a small number of outlets, such as the Matakana Village Farmers’ Market. As production rises next year, the main focus will be supplying the New Zealand market. Manāki currently employs a 30-strong team in its labour-intensive whitebait farm operation, with numbers set to grow further in step with production. WHAT WE DON’T KNOW ISN’T WORTH KNOWING 117 Clyde St, Invercargill 0800 723 100 | admin@southernbolts.co.nz www.southernbolts.co.nz • Bolt & Nuts • Masonry Bolts • Socket Products • Threaded Rods • Rivets • Screws • Self Drillers • Bolt Assortments • Stainless Steel Fasteners & Hardware • Hinges & Gate Fittings • SDS Multi-fit Masonry Drills • Drill, Taps & Die Nuts • Teng Tools SUPPORT YOUR 100% OWNED & OPERATED SHOP Proud to support Premium Marine Technology Aquaculture | Horticulture | Repairs • Proven track record for quality • Custom building • Freighted throughout NZ • Large range of products Ph: 03 544 4434 7a McPherson Street, Richmond, Nelson NZ Proud Supplier of Aquaculture Tanks to Manāki Whitebait - PremiumMarine Technology www.richmondfibreglass.com sales@richmondfibreglass.com
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