| Last month,
Phil Heath, former manager of Northern Ireland’s
Centre of Marine Resource and Mariculture
(CMAR), became scientist in charge of
NIWA’s Mahanga Bay Aquaculture
Research Centre. He has managed CMAR, part of
Queen’s University, Belfast, for
the last eight years.
Speaking to FIS.com he
described his area of research as broad based and focusing on
filling the gap between university research and industrial
development.
"This was the area I was working in
Northern Ireland and I find demands here are very similar.
"I really see my job as taking near
market research and turning it into a reality for industry. It is
very important that I am out there as much as possible speaking to
industry. I have to learn what industry’s questions are and what
they want us to do." |
Phil Heath, former manager of Northern
Ireland’s Centre of Marine Resource
and Mariculture. (Photo:NIWA) |
He explained that in Northern Ireland he
had a history of bringing these two sides together. "I see my role as
working with NIWA scientists and business development managers to fill
the gap between scientists and the business world."
Phil sees great scope for the development
of finfish aquaculture in New Zealand. He also feels there is scope to
develop the aquaculture of new shellfish species. "The world market for
shellfish," he continued, "is very good. Also for the aquaculturalist
shellfish have real advantages. They feed on the natural plankton, you
don’t have to feed them chemicals and they even do a good job of moping
up excess algae in the system."
Phil also spoke of his interest in
training people to develop the skills necessary for aquaculture. "We
must always broaden the skills base of those involved in the industry
and those who want to be involved.
"Some of the training should be for
developing new species; other training should be for moving marine
aquaculture onshore." He went on to explain that they were constantly
improving a system of aquaculture based on a closed loop
‘re-circulation’ system. "What happens is that the water in the system
is constantly recycled through a cleaning system and only small
quantities of top up seawater are added. With this system you can take
aquaculture on land away from the coast."
"The technique," he continued, " is well
established. The Americans have been doing it for years. The Europeans
are also developing the technology." He mentioned a turbot farm in
Wales, established to produce 250 tonnes per year and a seabass farm
where these techniques were being used. He thinks the system could be
adapted for some of New Zealand’s high value species such as paua and
seahorses.
"The benefit of the system is that not
only is the aquaculture facility located on land, but the farmer has
total control. You can give the animal all the food it wants, keep the
water at an optimum temperature and allow just the right amount of light
to penetrate. But the high capital costs involved usually means this
system can only be developed with high value species such as paua. The
control that re-circulation systems provide has allowed grow out times
for abalone in Northern Ireland to be reduced from five years to two and
a half years. Similar results have been achieved for turbot.
"If we are going to push aquaculture
forward," he concluded, "we have to look seriously at adopting new
onshore technologies alongside developing the systems for aquaculture
that rely on placing cages and ropes in the sea."
Source:
 |
