New Zealand
New Zealand’s long history of living in harmony with nature and deep knowledge of the marine environment. This, together with having the ideal conditions to cultivate giant kelp, make it a clear choice for our second operating location.
In New Zealand, we have piloted cultivating Macrocystis Pyrifera in our onshore hatchery in Bluff and outplanting this onto marine farms in Akaroa Harbour. Based on this experience and with a new partnership with Awarua Rūnaka Limited we have decided to follow our ambition to establish a large scale kelp farm in Southland.
Proposed Expansion in Southland
Kelp Blue is excited to be supporting Awarua Rūnaka Limited with a proposal to farm Macrocystis in the cold nutrient rich waters of Te ara a Kiwa/Foveaux Strait, Southland.
In 2024 - after time on the water, engaging with stakeholders, and hosting public consultations - we chose a site that has the necessary criteria for our operations. Awarua `Rūnaka Limited, Kelp Blue and a long list of technical experts have been working to prepare a resource consent application for 2,850ha of marine space.
If approved, our farming operations will follow a staged approach. This means we will start small, regularly monitor our work and its impact, and implement these lessons so we adapt and continuously improve how we farm.
The operations will start by establishing a marine monitoring programme (including marine mammals, seabirds, and water quality). Next a series of navigational aids will be put in place in consultation with the Harbourmaster and MaritimeNZ. Then we will start installing screw anchors to secure the submerged structures the kelp will grow on. These structures will be seeded with tiny Macrocystis plants and will be regularly monitored throughout their life to track the environmental conditions, biodiversity, kelp growth and the structures themselves.
Consultations - Let’s work together.
Awarua Rūnaka Limited and Kelp Blue are actively seeking input and feedback from the community and stakeholders on our proposal.
We invite input and feedback, so please follow contact us on nz@kelp.blue or the link to the public consultation survey.
Careers
We’re not a ‘business as usual’ scale-up. We value originality and creativity, expect a healthy dose of common sense, that you are a problem solver by nature and that you’re comfortable getting on with tasks in an unstructured environment.
If you feel like you’re a good fit, please get in touch. You might be what we are looking for and we don’t even know it.
We’re always on the look out for those who want to join us on our journey to leave the planet in a better place. Send us an email with your resume to newkelpies@kelp.blue
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