Aquaculture
The Whakatōhea Māori Trust Board’s aquaculture interests focus on the rohe’s coastal water space, north of Ōpōtiki. The opportunities presented by this area include farming mussel, sea cucumber and finfish.
The Board also has fisheries assets allocated under the Māori Fisheries Act 2004.
Eastern Sea Farms
The Whakatohea Maori Trust Board is the majority shareholder (54%) in Eastern Sea Farms, an organsiation established to farm mussels off the coast of Ōpōtiki. Other partners include Sealords (26% shareholding) and NZ Sea Farms (20% shareholding).
Eastern Sea Farms Limited has applied for waterspace for mussels farming and spat catching in the Bay of Plenty. EBOP has granted resource consents but some of these are under appeal. The Company has also applied for the necessary permits from the Ministry of Fisheries to allow mussel farming and spat catching. The farm has the potential to produce approximately 20,000 tonnes of mussels per annum by the year 2025.
The farm will be sited three nautical miles offshore from Opotiki where the water depth and currents are suitable for mussel growing. The site has been chosen to minimise visual, navigational and environmental effects, is away from sensitive seabeds and is not in a fishing “hotspot”. The following map provides an indication of the approximate location of the proposed mussel farm (indicated by the shaded red boxes).
Commercial mussel trials commenced in early October 2010. The trials will evaluate the growth rates, spat catch and growing methods of the water space. Commercial trials will provide the information necessary to determine the commercial viability of farming mussels. The financial modelling will also need to consider a processing plant that is operational for at least 10 months of the year. Other aquaculture ventures that can feed in and utilize the plant are also being researched. For more information about the mussel farm click here - a new page will open containing information about the development of the farm thus far.
Sea Cucumber 
Sea cucumber is a valuable delicacy in China and our New Zealand species is very similar.Whakatōhea are in the preliminary phase of proposed research in the farming the New Zealand Sea Cucumber for the Chinese market. Initial research is being carried out to determine the feasibility of the operation in land based ponds.
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