The lead role in aquaculture planning falls to Regional Councils who are responsible for deciding what locations and species are appropriate for farming in their coastal marine areas.
Every marine farm must have a permit to legally operate in New Zealand. The consent process is managed by Regional Councils to provide a planned, controlled approach to the allocation of water space for aquaculture.
Consent conditions associated with the permits are set by Regional Councils to ensure a ‘no more than acceptable’ level of ecological impact occurs due to aquaculture related activities.
Councils are required to monitor compliance with these conditions on a regular basis and ensure all aquaculture practices are being carried out in a sustainable manner.
The Regional Councils responsible for the bulk of New Zealand’s aquaculture planning are:
For more information on the status of Aquaculture in each region visit the Government aquaculture website
