Media release notification – 1
April 2, 2012

Submissions open for salmon company’s growth plans

All New Zealanders get to have a say from today (Mon April 2) on a proposal that has the potential to earn the country hundreds of millions of dollars in export revenue.

Marlborough-based New Zealand King Salmon has applied to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to commission nine new salmon farms over an extended period in the Marlborough Sounds.

The company’s application was ‘publicly notified’ on Saturday by the Board of Inquiry (BOI) established by the EPA which means submissions are now open for 20 working days to anyone who wants to have a say.

The submission period runs until May 2 following which the BOI will hold hearings and submitters will be able to comment on each other’s submissions. A final decision on the company’s application will be announced in December.

If fully approved, New Zealand King Salmon’s additional production will provide up to 120 jobs in the region. Its export earnings are forecast to nearly quadruple from the current $60 million to more than $230 million a year.

NZ King Salmon CEO Grant Rosewarne is urging New Zealanders to support his company’s application to promote sustainable jobs and preserve the environment for future generations.

“There are huge benefits for New Zealand and for Marlborough in our plans but we cannot accomplish those without the support of the community and the ‘silent majority’. In total, the amount of additional surface water space that will be farmed is a tiny 12 hectares out of the total Sounds area of 150,000 hectares.

“We are world’s biggest producer of King salmon with 55 per cent of the global market and currently we simply cannot meet demand. Offshore our brand is well known and preferred among many professional chefs and in the hospitality industry so it has a high profile.

“We are the largest single contributor of long chain Omega-3s in the NZ diet and as such we make a major contribution to healthy child brain development, healthy joints, reduced heart attacks and better eyesight.

“Our business has a bright future sustainably producing a healthy and delicious food product for which New Zealand already has a strong international reputation.

“A positive submission is a rare opportunity for local people to add huge value to our region and show the world we can have premium branded Marlborough salmon while preserving our environment for future generations.”

Mr Rosewarne says if the company is able to grow its business it will be well on the way to creating a cluster of supporting businesses.

“The economic benefits go very deep. All sorts of local and national businesses will benefit from work associated with the construction and our ongoing operations – engineering, education, taxis, marine industry and education, net makers.”

He says the company also hopes to be able to increase production to the point that the industry can support a feed mill in New Zealand with “huge downstream benefits”.

Anyone can make a submission to the Board of Inquiry in writing and on the EPA’s prescribed form. Submission forms are available from the EPA website or can be requested by freephone on 0800 722 667.

Submitters need not provide all the information to support their position until the evidence exchange part of the process, expected to be in late July. Hearings are expected to start in mid-August.

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