New Zealand Aquaculture Industry Initiative: Collingwood Case Study

Abstract

This case study illustrates how a collaborative approach resolved agricultural pollution of growing waters and restored harvest criteria without resort to legal remedies. Dairy farm effluent entering waterways many kilometers distant from these farms resulted in harvest criteria being progressively restricted, ultimately threatening the viability of the mussel farms. Because the marine and dairy farms co-existed in a small community and the water space is a resource shared with many other users, the Shellfish industry was reluctant to pursue the legal remedy option. Instead, by aligning the interests of the dairy and marine farmers with those of the wider community, a collaborative, sustainable solution was obtained.

The lack of a tool to identify the source of the pollution was an early impediment to progress and eventually a process of elimination was required. Subsequently microbial source tracking undertaken by researchers has confirmed the dairying source.

Committed self management (and policing) of the effluent problem has seen harvest criteria restored to the previous level. The legal option could have been expected to take many years, cost millions of dollars and pitted neighbour against neighbour. The case provides a good example of a sustainable development approach and offers further evidence of the value and efficacy of industry self management.

Although the case study relates to a dairy environment in a rural location, the model and methodology with adaptation could be used in a variety of situations by industry and regulators when confronted with anthropogenic contamination of growing waters.