The Bay of Plenty is home to NZ's main open-ocean mussel farming area, which has the potential to reach annual revenues of NZD 200 million by 2035.
Photo: Dmitry Naumov / Adobe Stock.
Reached under the Māori Commercial Aquaculture Claims Settlement Act 2004, the agreement between the Crown and Te Moana-a-Toi—Māori name for the Bay of Plenty—iwi (tribe) was signed last February, but it was not until this July that a ceremony was held in Tauranga marking its official launch.
New Zealand's Oceans and Fisheries Ministry highlighted that this major aquaculture settlement will deliver significant growth and opportunity to this NZ region, located in the northern part of the North Island.
"This important milestone delivers on the Crown's settlement obligations, supports aquaculture development in the region, and ensures iwi take a leading role in the resulting workforce development and economic growth," New Zealand's Oceans and Fisheries Minister, Shane Jones, said, commenting on the agreement.
"The Bay of Plenty has the potential to grow its position as an important contributor to the success of our aquaculture sector," he added.
According to the Ministry's release, the Crown and twelve aquaculture organizations from the Te Moana-a-Toi iwi that have participated in the settlement agreed on an asset package representing 5,000 hectares of new areas designated for aquaculture.
NZ's Oceans and Fisheries also noted that the Bay of Plenty is home to New Zealand's open ocean mussel farming, which has been identified as a sector with the potential to reach annual revenues of NZD 200 million by 2035.
"Achieving this will have major benefits for the Bay of Plenty, generating export dollars and stable jobs that strengthen local communities. I understand iwi in the region are planning to work collectively to develop the new aquaculture space, which will provide significant economic benefits to the region as a whole," Shane Jones continued.
New Zealand's Oceans and Fisheries Minister also used his speech to thank and acknowledge Te Moana-a-Toi iwi for their leadership throughout the settlement process.
"We are celebrating, not just the agreement we have reached, but also the prosperity and opportunity that aquaculture growth will provide to the Bay of Plenty," he concluded.
This agreement to boost aquaculture in the Bay of Plenty is not the first that the current New Zealand's Government has reached with iwi. In November 2024, Minister Shane Jones already announced five new Aquaculture Settlement Areas (ASAs) to help ensure that Ngāi Tahu—the main Māori tribe on the South Island—would share in the opportunities that aquaculture offers for Southland's economy.
Since the current conservative coalition government came to power in November 2023, we have seen several initiatives related to aquaculture, including the Aquaculture Development Plan, launched last year, which aims to increase NZ's aquaculture revenues to NZD 3 billion annually by 2035. To achieve this, the plan sets out an action roadmap for the period 2025-2030, which includes everything from specific projects to regulatory changes.
Specific projects include, for example, breeding snapper suitable for commercial fish farming—known as the super snapper project—or support for a mussel farming project to increase survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry.
However, it is in terms of regulatory changes that Christopher Luxon's administration has undoubtedly grabbed most of the headlines since announcing in April 2024 that fishing and aquaculture would deal with less red tape.
Among the announced measures that are now in effect are the extension of existing coastal permits for the country's 1,200 marine farms for 20 years, as well as the amendment of national regulations for marine aquaculture to reduce consenting burdens for marine farmers while keeping environmental protections in place.
