The fishing industry is important for New Zealand. Fishing is also important globally, with fish trade involving 85 nations and US$102 billion per year.

However, oceans are under threat from pollution, habitat destruction, and unsustainable harvesting of resources. Continuing to fish wild stocks to feed growing demand for seafood is a flawed strategy with a limited future. According to some estimates, 85% of the world’s marine fish stocks are fully or over exploited, and depleted or recovering; competition and advanced technologies are placing overall fishing capacity at 2.5 times the sustainable capacity.

In response to this, demand for fish farms is increasing.

Aquaculture, or farming of fish, crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic plants, has been around for about half a century. In recent years, it has become the world’s fastest growing animal-food producing sector, providing 46% of total food fish in 2008.

At the recent Rio+20 conference, New Zealand joined the Global Partnerships for Oceans to improve fisheries management, protect certain marine environments, and reduce ocean pollution. Tradable quotas for wild fish stocks, excluding recreational fishing, have been in place for many years. Attempts are being made to extend this to other parts of the world.

The government has released a strategy and five-year action plan to support the aquaculture sector’s goal of lifting revenue from $400 million in 2011 to $1 billion by 2025.

A number of applications are being considered. Marlborough District Council recently heard submissions on Ngai Tahu’s application to farm fin fish, primarily hapuku but also 14 other species, at Beatrix Bay. The Environment Protection Agency is considering applications by King Salmon for salmon farming at nine sites in the Marlborough Sounds.

But any attempts to increase the number of fish farms will face local objections about environmental impacts and pressures on wild fish stocks. Balancing these priorities requires effective planning and decision-making.

Whatever decisions are made, more pressure will be placed on government (central and local) to balance environmental concerns with the pressing need to support aquaculture.