Aquaculture costs worry NZ farmers

NEW ZEALAND - Some marine famers say they are being financially crippled by red tape and that all future growth will take place overseas unless central government steps in to help.

Marine Farming association president Rob Pooley says since local councils have been in charge of granting marine farm approvals, red tape has made the new system too slow and too expensive.

"By virtue of the fact that this regime has essentially been in place for 18 months now and there hasn't been one single application lodged for a plan change suggets to us that it's a failture."

Thomas says he agrees. "We can't see a future in the industry, unelss we can fill our export orders. Other places like Chile, Australia, Norway, Denmark are going to start taking our markets and we'll never ever get them back."

Source: tvnz