50 | Clearwater Mussels T T Kim Newth Innovating for resilience in mussel farming One of the company’s 11 dedicated harvest vessels, which operate in Golden Bay and the Sounds. “From an environmental management perspective, this is such a huge improvement and it puts us in a position where we can confidently negotiate for renewals of those leases.” REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Having devoted half a century to mussel farming from Golden Bay to Kenepuru Sound, John Young appreciates the pivotal role that biology plays in the living marine environment. He credits his longevity in this sector to having a deep respect for the environment and being prepared to constantly innovate and adapt. In their early years as mussel farmers, John and his wife Lyn were growing around 2000 tonnes of mussels each year. A key milestone came in 2007 when they partnered with Talley’s to form Clearwater Mussels. It was the right decision at the right time, forged out of mutual respect and bringing the scale needed to operate efficiently and spread risk. By 2022, Clearwater Mussels’ operation was producing 18,000 tonnes of mussels annually and employing a team of 50 people, working in on-shore support, harvest vessels, farm maintenance, re-seeding, plus engineering and float-making. “We have expanded significantly since then, having bought another company, Kono NZ (that was also producing and exporting mussels). This coming 12-month period we will produce 26,000 tonnes of mussels. We have expanded in Golden Bay and now have around 80 employees, and we operate five dedicated vessels in Golden Bay and six in the Sounds.” As John observes, the biggest influence on mussel farm productivity every year is the Southern Oscillation, a climate cycle that has two opposite states- El Niño and La Niña - both of which significantly alter global weather patterns. Whereas El Niño brings favourable conditions for mussel farming, La Niña does the opposite. Finding ways to adapt is key. “In a long La Niña, you can lose 30-50% of production in mussel farming and it also greatly affects the wild spat we catch off 90 Mile Beach and Wainui Inlet,” John explains. “We need to be more resilient and explore how we can better survive and thrive though those times.” Clearwater Mussels has been successfully experimenting with rope to help address this issue of poor yield in La Niña years. “We had this harvest rope made by Quality Equipment that has a looped structure, and lo and behold that pushed our production through the roof and has also enabled us to circumvent the worst effects of La Niña. While this rope is expensive, the potential gains are huge.” A severe storm in Tasman Bay several years ago that ripped out some screw anchors and caused full lines to break off gave rise to another recent innovation by Clearwater Mussels. “That pushed us to produce the ultimate float and attachment system, complete with shock absorbers. We took it through research and development – it’s incredible. The system has been put to test in the open ocean in Golden Bay in 40km winds – we haven’t had one float break off. From an environmental management perspective, this is such a huge improvement and it puts us in a position where we can confidently negotiate for renewals of those leases.” In conjunction with Sounds Engineering, Clearwater Mussels has also devised a new type of retro-fit engineered float handle, currently undergoing trials. The aim moving forward will be to retrofit all floats in the Sounds with this attachment to put an end to floats or lashings getting loose. Clearwater Mussels is also exploring how to manage fluctuating levels of spat, particularly in La Niña years. “I think we will always source the majority of spat from wild but there are advantages in being able to breed for fast growth, quicker turnaround and better retention. We don’t have access to a hatchery, but Clearwater Mussels is going through that process at the moment. It is still early days but we are looking at potential hatchery sites. We’re in negotiations and currently doing a feasibility study with Cawthron Institute.” • RUGGED • DURABLE • KIWI MADE GEAR Tel: 03 539 0022 Email: info@protectiveclothing.nz Factory Shop: 10A Forests Road, Nelson Our wet weather clothing and gear is made to the highest New Zealand Safety standards. New Zealand sees its fair share of extreme weather, so we test and manufacture waterproof clothing and workwear that is made to withstand the toughest weather conditions. QUALITY EQUIPMENT LIMITED N E W Z E A L A N D R O P E A N D T W I N E M A N U F A C T U R E R S Quality Equipment is proud to work with Clearwater Mussels and the NZ Mussel Industry Auckland - 70 Hillside Rd, Glenfield 0627 | Contact: Joe Franklin Jnr - 027 223 8112 | joejnr@qe.co.nz | musselrope.co.nz Nelson - 124 Vickerman St, Port Nelson 7010 | Contact: Jason Lovell - 027 473 9132 | nelson@qe.co.nz
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