This support is contingent on the New Zealand seafood industry committing matching co-funding to the research programme.
SIL is the joint venture research company of Seafood New Zealand and Plant and Food Research.
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment has completed contractual formalities with Seafood Innovations who will guide the programme on behalf of the NZ seafood industry.
SIL’s newly appointed General Manager, Mike Mandeno, says he expects about half of the research is likely to be carried out by Plant and Food Research, Cawthron Institute and NIWA, but he expects at least eight other research providers will be involved.
“The government support is the foundation for our partnership research programme through to 2020. We have clear science aims to invest in. We need to increase the volume and value of our exports and remain competitive. We need to reduce any impact on the environment. And we need to achieve a greater diversity of products we export to meet global consumer preferences,” Mr Mandeno says.
The Partnerships programme is designed to strengthen ties between research organisations and research users across the whole seafood industry by providing co-funding to enable industry to establish a long-term research programme with industry-good outcomes. Partnership members determine the research they will undertake, driven by seafood industry needs.
Mike Mandeno says the science programme will be remarkably diverse, reflecting the complex nature of the seafood industry.
“We plan to be doing fundamental work on the biology of the animals we farm and harvest; developing new farming systems; and devising new methods of taking premium seafood to discerning world markets.”
