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Aquaculture reform

The Aquaculture Reform Act 2004 was passed in late 2004. The Act amended five existing statutes and introduced two new ones. The legislation signifies the beginning of a new regime for managing aquaculture – work that has been underway since the late 1990s.

The main features of the new regime are that:

It creates a single process for aquaculture planning and consents through the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) - every marine farmer now holds a resource consent for his or her farm
Existing marine farm leases and licences are being eased into the new regime by transitional provisions
Regional and unitary councils have clearer roles and responsibilities for managing all the environmental effects of marine farming, including any effects on fisheries and other marine resources
New marine farms can only occur in areas specifically zoned for that use, known as Aquaculture Management Areas (AMAs)
A new AMA can be initiated by regional and unitary councils, or privately
Councils will be given more powers to allocate new space to the most efficient users
When applications for new marine farms are assessed, their effects on fishing activity will be taken into account through a test under the Fisheries Act 1996
When resource consents come up for review, the reform provides greater protection for existing consent holders
More certainty is provided with Treaty claims to commercial aquaculture after 21 September 1992 being settled.

A series of five information sheets have been developed that explain different aspects of the reform:

More information

Frequently asked questions:

Have a question that is not answered here? Email: aquaculture@mfe.govt.nz.