Sanford plans to double production of prized greenshell mussels
Prime Minister Helen Clark this afternoon officially opened a new greenshell mussel processing factory at Havelock,
Marlborough Sounds, signalling a major step forward in the fast-expanding development of marine aquaculture in New
Zealand.
The multi-million-dollar plant has been built by Sanford Ltd to handle up to 16,000 tonnes of greenshell mussels each
year, double the capacity of the previous Havelock facility.
Sanford is New Zealand's largest aquaculture company with more than 90 marine farming licences covering more than 400
hectares of water space in Northland, Coromandel, Stewart Island and in the Marlborough Sounds, where 69 of those marine
farms are concentrated across more than 300 hectares of water.
Sanford Group Managing Director Eric Barratt thanked Helen Clark "for completing the treble for us, because this is the
third new aquaculture facility that you have opened over the last two years for Sanford, all of which have created new
jobs in the regional communities of Bluff in Southland, Kaeo in Northland, and now Havelock in Marlborough.
"I can tell you, Prime Minister, that the first two legs of the treble are winners," Mr Barratt said. Both plants were
working to capacity in serving export customers, and he was confident that the same would apply to the third leg with
the new Havelock facility.
Aquaculture was a growth area in Sanford's seafood business, whether in mussels, oysters or salmon. "Our farming
activities, our volumes, our harvesting activities, our processing plants and our markets are growing," Mr Barratt said.
"Our involvement in hatcheries and farming, harvesting and processing, all certified to international environmental
standards, ensures that we can deliver quality products to our customers throughout the world, whether it be mussels or
mackerels, oysters or orange roughy, scampi or salmon, or terakihi or toothfish."
He said the new plant was the culmination of some 18 years of planning, dating back to when Sanford first investigated
the fledgling mussel industry in the Marlborough Sounds.
One of the pioneers of that industry, Don Mitchell, later became Sanford's Havelock manager, and Eric Barratt paid
tribute to the innovative efforts of Don and the Havelock team in continually improving processes and practices in the
industry.
Borrowing a phrase from the Government's recent proposals for "growing an innovative New Zealand," Mr Barratt commented:
"Many of the innovators and pioneers of this industry are here today; they are the people who developed long line mussel
farming to a sophistication unparalleled in the world today. Most other mussel producing countries look to New Zealand
for ideas about long line mussel farming.
"Much of the innovation in farming and harvesting has been typical New Zealand No.8 wire type developments, but people
like Don Mitchell and many others in the audience here today have been at the forefront of constantly refining each
other's ideas, to improve the efficiency, effectiveness and economics of the mussel industry."
On the farming side of the industry, there had been improvements in seeding, growing and harvesting operations. In
processing, there had been significant advances in areas like mechanical, steam and infra-red shell opening systems,
high-tech weighing and grading machines, and more advanced packaging systems. "Much of this innovation has been
generated within New Zealand and within the mussel industry."
On the marketing side, early mussel exports had been boosted by "piggy back" marketing with other seafood products, and
Mr Barratt acknowledged the assistance and co-operation of the Fishing Industry Board and TradeNZ in this area.
Today New Zealand's greenshell mussels were highly prized in major export markets around the world, and sales were
growing. In 1988 New Zealand exported 5,000 tonnes of mussels worth $15 million; in 2000, the volume was 75,000 tonnes
worth $175 million.
Welcoming guests including overseas buyers, Sanford's Havelock manager Don Mitchell praised the project team who had
spent 18 months constructing the new plant, while the company's 165 staff had maintained processing operations for all
but a week or two.
As well as the onshore facility, a new mussel farming vessel was also officially commissioned today. Named the San
Nikau, the vessel is 28 metres long, 8 metres wide and draws 1.45 metres. It carries a crew of three with on-board
accommodation, and is powered by twin engines with auxiliaries and full gantries and winches to handle the normal range
of marine farming and harvesting activities.
ENDS