New Zealand changes national rules to support aquaculture

New Zealand's government has amended national rules for marine aquaculture, saying the changes will make it easier for operators to alter existing farms, test new methods and adopt new technology.

Jointly announcing the changes, RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones said the updated National Environmental Standards for Marine Aquaculture would provide clarity and make planning simpler for regulators and farmers alike.

“Changes to the National Environmental Standards for Marine Aquaculture will remove unnecessary complexity and cost for aquaculture operators,” Bishop said.

“These changes support marine farmers to refine their operations within existing footprints, trial new approaches and adopt better practices, without lowering the bar for environmental protection," he continued.

“The amendments also provide councils with clearer national direction about how certain activities should be assessed, reducing unnecessary variation and uncertainty across the country,” Bishop said.

According to New Zealand government figures, the country's aquaculture industry currently employs more than 3,000 people, supplies food domestically and generates NZ$650m a year in exports (€329m / US$388m).

The government has set a target of NZ$3bn (€1.52bn / US$1.79bn) in annual revenue, set out in its Aquaculture Development Plan, launched last year.

At the time, Fisheries Minister Shane Jones argued that in addition to boosting the economic impact of New Zealand aquaculture, the plan also aimed to "double the jobs" in the sector.

In this week's announcement, Jones reiterated his stance, describing himself as "a strong and vocal supporter of aquaculture growth," because of "its enormous potential to further benefit New Zealand’s export economy, bringing much needed jobs and export earnings into the regions."

“Prior to these changes, marine farmers were required to undergo a complex and difficult consenting process to make even minor changes to their operations. These changes reduce the administrative and financial burden of consenting and reconsenting, and introduce rules that ensure sustainability while allowing for the kind of flexibility and innovation that our economy and communities need,” Jones added.

Under the amended rules, which take effect on 4 June, councils will apply the new framework to certain permitted activities and consent decisions.

According to the government, the changes are intended to make reconsenting and amendments to consent conditions more consistent nationally, while allowing more scope for aquaculture-related research and trials.

They will also make it easier to change or cancel monitoring conditions where new science or technology has emerged, and address technical issues in the regulations.

“These updates are another step in making the resource management system more workable and proportionate, while still protecting our marine environment,” Bishop argued, explaining the changes to the aquaculture rules sit within a wider programme to alter national direction under the current Resource Management Act, which would continue during the transition to the proposed Planning and Natural Environment Acts.