April 29, 2020
Green light for mussel spat farm
Independent commissioners for Waikato Regional Council have given the green light for a mussel spat catching farm at Whauwhau, in outer Mercury Bay.
The application was lodged by Coromandel aquaculture industry businessman Peter Bull and Joe Davis on behalf of Ngāti Hei.
The resource consent is for 20 years rather than the 35 years sought and includes 104 conditions covering best practice management, structures, noise, lighting, biosecurity, effects on currents and waves, marine mammals and seabirds.
Spat farming involves stringing ropes into the ocean onto which free-swimming larvae attach themselves to spat catching ropes.
The ropes are then transferred to a mussel farm for the mussels to continue growing.
The proposed spat farm will be located about 1.6 kilometres offshore, and includes three 10 hectare blocks,
The application attracted 204 submissions – 195 in opposition, 5 in support and 4 neutral.
Submitters have 15 days to lodge an appeal.
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