Marlborough Sounds teen fights salmon farms

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Marlborough teen fights salmon farms

3News NZ

Leona Plaisier

Leona Plaisier

For the past nine weeks the future of New Zealand’s aquaculture industry has been up for debate.

King Salmon, 51 percent owned by the Tiong family of Malaysia, is applying for nine salmon farms in the Marlborough Sounds, on top of its five existing ones.

But it wants those farms in areas which currently prohibit aquaculture.

The company's application, which is being heard in front of the environmental protection authority, has attracted more 1400 submissions.

One of those is from a 17-year-old girl, who lives in the sounds and has spent the past six months fighting the multinational.

Watch Kate King’s report.

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Comments

4/11/2012 8:43:52 p.m.

Leona Plaisier wrote:

Thank you so much for all the supportive feedback, it is great to see we're not the only ones who have a concern about this planned expansion. There are tow things that were't mentioned in the story that maybe a few people would be interested to know. For one, we have set up a petition against these farms. It has collected over 11,000 signatures so far. On this website you can also view the videos Liam and I made on our first trip we went on when the Waihinau bay farm was still in Waihinau bay. It shows a video of the sludge we dredged up at the Forsyth site. It might be worth a look for anyone who isn't convinced yet.

27/10/2012 3:00:38 p.m.

Margurette wrote:

Leona you are wonderful!! Go get those I dont give a s*#t King Salmon Farmers.They are foreigners not Natives to your area so they dont care what the outcome will be for the NZ enviroment.sTICK TO YOUR GUNS!!! and GOOD LUCK!!

26/10/2012 6:48:42 a.m.

shane wrote:

Find out what happened to the mackerel fish stocks that make the pellets the salmon eat.

24/10/2012 8:56:19 p.m.

Balan wrote:

Do what is right for your country. If your government says NO to this farming, I don't see how the company will be allowed to expand their business. Remember, today is 9. There will be more in the future. Thank you.

23/10/2012 12:59:54 p.m.

Greg wrote:

So what eats salmon poo?
What other species can be placed under these farms to prevent any pollution, the marine environment is a mutually supporting one. We need aqua cuture to compete with the milk economy and lift our wages.

23/10/2012 7:58:46 a.m.

atrout wrote:

Just a note to Franka. It would be interesting to actually look at what has happened in Western Canada. The emphasis has gone onto protecting and valuing the wild fish stocks and moving away from fish farming. The rivers are not all polluted and salmon runs a coming back. Research the marine scene in British Columbia and you will see a very positive new direction in managing the coastal environment. We in NZ take very little interest in whats below the surface and our Tasman and Golden Bays are in very poor condition yet almost nobody cares. The Sounds are likely to head the same way.

22/10/2012 11:23:40 p.m.

Mark wrote:

Just to put your comments in clearer perspective Paul, much of the condition of the land you see in the background of these clips is the direct result of the Marginal Lands Board subsidy era - when the subsidy was withdrawn the land that had been cleared proved uneconomic without the subsidy and was left to revert. It should have been left untouched - all that energy of generations clearing that land wasted. Are we making the same mistake again with the salmon farms? The Marlborough Sounds has suffered enough damage from the endeavors of man - silting up from 130 yrs of inappropriate land management practice, serious erosion visible everywhere, a blue cod fishery in crisis (inconceivable 20 years ago), and now the last naturally regenerating scallop fishery (Ketu Bay) in the area about to be surrounded by intensive salmon farms. When will we learn? Congratulations to Leona and Liam for their stand.

22/10/2012 2:15:09 p.m.

Franka wrote:

Hey, thank you for all that you are doing, but can the community not get behind you in this much more..? It is clearly wrong to allow this to happen. There was a while ago a documentary on TV by Jeff Rothschild about how at Canadas westcoast the Salmon Farming has literally destroyed large landscapes where there used to be natural salmon in the rivers everywhere and now all that is left is polluted rivers by the toxic waste of the produced salmon, how bad can it get?? It will be devistating to see this happen in the beautiful and unique MS`s !!! I am not an expert, neither a scientist but i can already see the damage that will take place, just by looking at the bare facts of what has happened in Canada. This should be made PUBLIC and shown to the council and to the people living in and around the Marl.Sounds. It is so shocking that it will convince you instantly! Keep up this battle, I am sure this can still be stopped, after all we are in New Zealand!!! cheers..

21/10/2012 8:58:04 p.m.

Leona Plaisier wrote:

It is really good to see so many of you realise what we're up against here...
In answer of Paul's concerns: I agree my samples were not scientifically collected or tested, but I have attended most of the hearing and the evidence presented to the EPA Board by real scientists is available to everyone. This story was meant to show what we stand to lose and why my brother and I feel so strongly in protecting it. The thing with salmon farming compared to dairy farming is that the damage and pollution of salmon farms is hidden away underneath tonnes of seawater, whereas with dairy farms this is a visual issue and farmers are required to pay thousands and thousands of dollars to deal with effluent.
King Salmon is not.
I really don't think these farms are the sollution to our job crisis. KS is a company. And like any other in NZ creating jobs is not their main concern. If they can find a a way to automise a job they will. I, as a 17-year-old have managed to find work out here and I am specialised in what I do. People need to look to all other means of finding work before resorting to the way we have been doing for hundreds of years - taking from the environment. Because one day this will not be possible anymore.
It saddens me to think that people percieve the Sounds as an idustrial wasteland. Although some areas might well have forsetry etc that no one likes to see, there are huge pats of it that remain untouched and are free for everyone to visit. It isn't for nothing it is one of the main attractions to Marlborough for tourists, and passengers on the ferrys see it everyday. Tennyson Inlet is one of the most beautiful areas I have ever been to, and it is right here in our back yard.
I have many more years to live out in New Zealand I hope, and it depends on the decisions we make today about our natural resources on what kind of 'New Zealand' it will be in 50 years time.

21/10/2012 4:13:43 p.m.

Jim Seaview wrote:

QUOTE: "King Salmon, 51 percent owned by the Tiong family of Malaysia, is applying for nine salmon farms in the Marlborough Sounds, on top of its five existing ones." CONGRATULATIONS to young Leona Plaisier along with her family for presenting their unscientific findings but it was interesting and at least you did something in a very practical way and your point was noted. I have TWO QUESTIONS: Q1 Why cant the Tiong family of Malaysia actually build the additional nine salmon farms back in Malaya? Q2 Is it because they are not allowed to in Malaya because of the adverse environmental effects that Salmon farming produces? For jobs in the Marlborough Sounds - Q3 Is their room for a compromise and allow them to build an additional three farms instead of nine farms that they are applying to build?