Innovating aquaculture to improve social and economic well-being in coastal communities

This research focused on the potential of pātiki tōtara (yellowbelly flounder) aquaculture to foster economic and cultural development in coastal communities, which could lead to the creation of a more equitable blue economy in these regions. The partner communities highlight aspirations to explore stock enhancement as a means to enact kaitiakitanga (environmental stewardship) and preserve tikanga of traditional food gathering practices.

The research examined a preliminary economic analysis of pātiki aquaculture, which highlighted a need for more accurate species-specific data, particularly around the cost of juvenile production. Also noted is the development of broodstock techniques to produce a supply of high quality eggs to support further hatchery work. Future work will need to focus on cost-effective methods to produce juveniles to enable more accurate economic analysis.