Abstract

Aquaculture is a globally significant food production industry. Aquaculture in New Zealand has grown rapidly over the past decade, and it is widely considered as an area of significant growth potential within the country’s economy. The mussel industry is the biggest sector, followed by salmon, oyster and paua. The Mussel Industry Council has a Sextant database that allows continuous interactive planning among all stakeholders and demonstrates the crucial role of R&D in the realisation of strategic goals. The industry is expected to grow at 7% pa within the next decade. This growth will require new animal production activities such as hatchery spat production, selective breeding and husbandry for animal health and condition. These activities will be based on R&D outputs such as the ability to condition broodstock, cost- effective methods for early spat rearing, and methods for the cryopreservation of gametes and embryos. To achieve these outputs, the industry supports research on the biology, ecology and genetics of the mussel, hatchery and nursery technology, shellfish selective breeding and cryopreservation, stress and disease physiology. New areas of research on shellfish production provide opportunities for the application of generic animal production expertise.

HF, Kaspar

Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production, Volume 61, Christchurch, 28-30, 2001