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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.