Application 124771 - Ministry of Fisheries

CAWTHRON INSTITUTE | REPORT NO. 2167 MAY 2012
1. SURVEY SUMMARY
A benthic assessment was commissioned by Gold Ridge Marine Farm Limited and
carried out by the Cawthron Institute (Cawthron) on 14 December 2011, within and
adjacent to a proposed 1 ha extension at Li 373, SO 56415.
1.1. Current farm layout
A consent for Li 373, a 6 ha green-lipped mussel (Perna canaliculus) farm, was issued
in 1987 and the farm was installed over the following 10 years. It has been used
exclusively for this purpose since that date.
Li 373 lies to the east of Moturua Island, to the north of the Coromandel Harbour and
16 km from the Coromandel Harbour / Sugarloaf Wharf at Te Kouma (Figure 1). The
farm is at depths ranging between 14-30 m. It is no closer than 45 m from the shore
and is situated adjacent to mussel farms, Li 396 and Li 361.
25m
30m 35m
45m from
shore
Moturua Island
Li373
Stocking
density
= 11 lines
5m 10m 15m
Li396
0 37.5 75 150 225 300
m
20m
Li396
±
Li361 Li361
Moturuhi
Is.
Moturua
Is.
30m
Li373 current farm area
Li361 & 396 current farm areas
Li373 currently consented area
Li373 farm extension
Figure 1. Site map of mussel farm Li 373 showing the location of the current farm (surface
structures), the currently consented area and the proposed farm extension. The current
farm areas (surface structures) of the neighbouring mussel farms, Li 396 and Li 361, are
shown in grey. Bathymetry is indicated by blue shading and depth labels. Inset shows the
location of the farm within the wider northern Coromandel area.
30m
1