The challenge
Breeding premium mussels. Breeding premium mussels.Through the reliance on wild-caught spat, New Zealand's Greenshell Mussel (GSM) industry struggles to deliver a consistent supply of mussels with the characteristics demanded by premium markets. The aim of this programme is to deliver benefits by domesticating the GSM and developing selectively bred, high-value product.
The solution
To deliver what the market requires, selective breeding of mussels in captivity is essential. Wild spat sources allow little control over the quality of the crop, whereas selectively-bred spat can be produced from the very best parents.
Traditional selective breeding continues to deliver huge gains in virtually every primary production sector on land, and with the help of this programme, can now do the same for aquaculture.
Research into selective breeding will be the focus of this programme along with the development of hatchery technology to breed and hatch improved spat.
SPATnz has begun work to build a pilot-scale mussel hatchery, with the first spat scheduled to be produced from 2015.
This research, innovation in hatchery technology and enhanced capability will be a breakthrough for our aquaculture industry, and provide significant economic and environmental returns.
Outcome Logic Model
Outcomes to date
- SPATnz has begun work to build a pilot-scale mussel hatchery, with the first spat scheduled to be produced from 2015.
- Grow-out trials using spat bred from selected families commenced in April 2013. About 60,000 mussels from 50 families have been deployed to several sites for performance assessment.
Watch a video about SPATnz on YouTube
Audit
Key facts
Programme start: November 2012
Length: 7 years
PGP funding: $13 million
Industry funding: : $13 million
Crown funding paid out to programme for work done to 30 September31 August 2016: $7,285,095.12 $7,165,894.35
Commercial partners: Sanford Ltd
Estimated potential economic benefits to NZ: The direct potential benefit to GDP of this programme is approximately $81 million by 2026. If the technology developed through this programme is adopted more broadly throughout the sector, GDP could increase by $193 million.