Cawthron Institute Committed to Aquaculture

Work on the new laboratories at Cawthrons Halifax Street campus will begin before Christmas and will increase research capabilities in shellfish food safety and adding value to foods, according to Cawthron CEO Charles Eason.

The companies we work with are asking us to increase our capacity and our capabilities to help them deliver export growth, and we are doing just that, he said.

The announcement of the new facility was welcomed by Aquaculture New Zealand CEO Gary Hooper.

The future of aquaculture in New Zealand will be shaped by innovation, research and development, Mr Hooper said.

The industry works closely with Cawthron on a range of key projects including food safety, monitoring, selective breeding and bio-security. The new facilities will strengthen Cawthrons capability and be an asset for the industry as we strive towards our billion-dollar goal.

The development is part of a strategic move by Cawthron to grow in partnership with the aquaculture industry.

There has been a very deliberate alignment of Cawthrons capabilities and resources with both the New Zealand Aquaculture Strategy and the needs of industry, coupled with an eye on protection and restoration of our precious New Zealand freshwater and coastal marine environments, Mr Eason said.

Cawthron has achieved a deliberate convergence of skills in all fields relating to aquaculture, namely culture shellfish, shellfish genetics, molecular biology, cryopreservation, physiology, selective breeding, spawning and husbandry, algal technologies, analytical capabilities, coastal and marine ecology, aquaculture planning, suitability assessment and consent applications to support the sustainable growth of the aquaculture industry.

It has taken many years to assemble such a force of research and development skills. Brawn and brain is now focused alongside the market intelligence of our industry partners to enable export growth.

We have more than trebled the size of laboratories and production facilities at the Cawthron Aquaculture Park in the last two years and are already starting to think of further expansion.

Cawthron prides itself of being a leader in collaboration between research and industry. We strive to operate in a business-friendly manner in all areas, including aquaculture.