Opotiki mussel farm may create 900 jobs | Rotorua News | Local News in Rotorua

People traditionally left Opotiki to find work, but now the town is hoping to attract people back - and even provide jobs for other towns.

After eight years of planning, consent applications and market and environmental research, Opotiki is launching a mussel farming venture that could create up to 900 jobs.

Mayor John Forbes spoke to The Daily Post about the Eastern Sea Farms project Opotiki District Council has been working on with the Whakatohea Maori Trust Board, Sealord and NZ Seafarms.

"Eight years ago it was a bit of a dream, but leadership from Maori and the local trust board and kaumatua has turned that into a reality."

Unemployment has been an issue in Opotiki since the late 1980s when Forbes said a couple of large employers left the town of nearly 10,000 people.

"We lost a lot of jobs following the restructuring of the late 80s, but we are expecting to create 900 jobs and $30 million in wages across the farming and processing operations."

Forbes said processing would initially be done elsewhere, probably Tauranga, until the farm produced enough volume to warrant building a plant in Opotiki.

The first ropes will be laid in about three weeks and the first mussel spat could be ready within three or four months. Forbes said the first crops could be expected in about a year.

It is forecast to contribute $38 million to Opotiki's gross domestic product and research into expansion to include oysters, scallops and even sea cucumbers is ongoing.

He said aquaculture would be essential for meeting the world's future food needs as marine farming was three-dimensional rather than two-dimensional, providing up to 11 times the productivity per hectare of land-based farming.

A delegation visited China last month to meet with Shandong Oriental Oceans Group president Che Shi, who is opening 500 seafood shops and has agreed to stock Opotiki mussels.

"That's a huge potential market and a huge opportunity for our products," Forbes said.

The Chinese group may also help create a sea cucumber farm, he said.

"It is seen as a health food and people really enjoy eating them."

Work is under way with tertiary institutions and the Ministry of Social Development to provide appropriate training locally for the aquaculture industry, but Forbes said the town would have to bring some people in to meet the staffing demands.

"There are a lot of Opotiki people who live outside the district and say they will come home once things start happening. There will be quite a few 'gumboot' jobs, but there will also be management roles, science and business opportunities."

Many of these roles will be well-paid and Forbes said it was a tremendous opportunity to help townspeople improve their lives.