A planned salmon farm will not go ahead off the coast of Southland.
A study that showed lower-than-expected water currents off Port Pegasus in Southland has led to the shelving of a planned salmon farm.
The site, bounded by Stewart Island, was given extensive government funding after being identified by the Southland Regional Development Strategy as a prime spot for aquaculture.
But the low currents meant production limits for salmon would be too low, according to a recently completed feasibility study.
Other finfish farming at Paterson Inlet and Port Adventure have also been ruled out.
Forest & Bird and other environmental lobby groups were opposed to the salmon farming proposal, saying it would affect the pristine marine habitat and natural qualities of the area, and potentially harm a growing sea lion population.
“Forest & Bird is delighted that Port Pegasus is safe from the environmentally damaging effects of intensive salmon farming,” says the organisation’s Southland conservation manager Sue Maturin.
“We are still very concerned over the previous government’s support for overriding environmental rules to provide for aquaculture, and hope that [the Labour government] will reconsider those priorities.”
Source: http://home.nzcity.co.nz/news/article.aspx?id=258548
