A new hatchery has been built at Cawthron Aquaculture Park near Nelson to improve understanding of New Zealand scampi and establish the world’s first captive breeding programme for the species.

The new scampi hatchery

The new scampi hatchery

The initiative is part of a government-funded six-year research project to develop more sustainable, commercially attractive harvesting methods for New Zealand scampi, and establish land-based aquaculture systems for domestication.

The project is led by Cawthron Institute in collaboration with Waikawa Fishing Company, University of Auckland and Zebra-Tech. They hope to refocus the New Zealand scampi industry from frozen commodity production, to live export trade to realise its estimated $200 million annual export potential.

Programme leader and Cawthron scientist Shaun Ogilvie says the initiative marks the first major advance in the sector since it began in the late 1980s and “its success will revolutionise the scampi industry.”

A multi-disciplinary team of experts are also involved in the programme, helping with everything from pot design and field-testing to improved ship-board transport, aquaculture development and economic modelling.

The programme will be advised and guided by an international technical advisory group of industry, marine technology and science experts including Maori fishing quota holders, and marine technology, science and industry peers from Scotland, Portugal, Norway, USA and Japan.

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