Seafood NZ Prepares For 'Thoughtful' Conference – Seafood's Science, Storytelling And Health Benefits All On The Table
The group representing New Zealand's commercial fishing sector is hosting around 250 industry leaders at the Conference, including scientists, operations experts and hands-on fishers.
This year's theme is "Seafood for Thought' – an obvious play on the phrase "food for thought" – which is all about encouraging fresh thinking, new conversations, and smarter ways of working together.
Conference delegates will hear from a range of speakers including Shane Jones, the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries, who will open the 2025 Conference.
Seafood New Zealand CEO, Lisa Futschek says there are three main strands to the Seafood for Thought theme.
'We're focused on the science that backs up our industry. We'll be asking how we can develop fishing technology that reduces our impacts and also allows us to fish in a smart and efficient way.
'Another area of focus is telling our story. New Zealand commercial fishing is lauded overseas - for example, a recent FAO report from the UN put us second in the world for sustainable management - and yet locally we are not so well recognised. How do we get better at sharing our stories with New Zealanders?
'And then we will look at the latest science around the health benefits of seafood consumption. We are fortunate enough to have two distinguished Australian scientists joining us in Nelson, who have just completed a review of the latest science around this very topic. We're looking forward to them revealing what their review of 281 of the newest and highest quality scientific papers says about the nutrition that seafood can provide and the impact that can have on human health.'
Other topics on the table, providing Seafood for Thought are:
• How the sector can sustainably grow its export value. Seafood is already worth around $2.2 billion a year to the New Zealand economy, so how do we increase this in a way that is sustainable for our ecosystems
• What we can do to manage the trade-related challenges we face in today's fast changing geopolitical environment
The Conference will also hear about safety at sea and on land, careers in seafood and how skippers can contribute to the science needed to manage our fisheries with greater certainty.
The 2025 Seafood New Zealand Conference runs for two days – August 6 and 7.
Fast Facts – Key Data about New Zealand Commercial Fishing
• New Zealand's commercial wild capture fisheries are worth $1.6 billion in export revenue
• Our seafood sector produces $2.2 billion in export revenue in total (including aquaculture)
• 16,500 Kiwis are employed either directly or indirectly in seafood
• Fisheries management is complex – there are 642 fish stocks under
management
• New Zealand fish stocks are in good shape. 97.3% of total commercial landings by weight are from stocks that are considered sustainable (see MPI data).
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
1News
an hour ago
- 1News
Change coming to rules for residential sheds, garages
Homeowners will soon be able to build small structures like garden sheds, sleepouts and garages closer to their property boundaries without requiring building consent following regulatory changes announced by the Government today. Cabinet agreed to remove the minimum distance required between single-storey buildings under 10sqm and a property boundary or other residential building, and reduce it to one metre for buildings between 10 and 30 square metres. Previously, these structures needed to be set back from boundaries by at least their own height unless a building consent was obtained. The changes, which would be made by amending Schedule 1 of the Building Act, were expected to take effect later this year. All building work must still comply with the Building Code and local district plans. ADVERTISEMENT Regulation Minister David Seymour said shrinking section sizes and the cost of living meant forcing people to put sheds in the middle of their lawn or pay for consent to store tools "doesn't make sense". "There is no justification for such generous setback distances on private property," he said. "Today's housing market means space is tight and building costs are high. These types of property developments are practical and affordable improvements. We want people to be able to utilise them without hassle." Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk said the Government did not believe Kiwis should be "bogged down in bureaucracy" when making use of their backyard. "That's a real win for anyone short on space, giving them more freedom to add a bike shed, protect their tools, cover a vehicle, or even create a small sleepout for guests – all without extra paperwork." Seymour said the regulation change had come about due to the Ministry of Regulation's red tape tipline, an online resource where the public could make submissions on regulations that affect them. Larger granny flats able to be built without consent ADVERTISEMENT A granny flat (file image). (Source: The Government also announced earlier this year it would ease rules around granny flats and increase the maximum size that could be built without consent to 70 square metres. An increase to 60 square metres was a National-NZ First coalition agreement, but Housing Minister Chris Bishop said "huge support" meant the Government would go even further. "It's currently far too hard to build the homes New Zealanders need, with even the simplest dwellings tangling up homeowners and builders in red tape." Under the proposal, granny flats could be built without consent if they had a simple design, met the Building Code, were built by authorised builders, and if the council was notified before and after construction. The amendment bill passed its first reading and was currently at the select committee stage, with the report due back next month.
NZ Herald
an hour ago
- NZ Herald
NZ corporate bond issuance shifts overseas, local market slows
That's partly down to banks being better positioned, so corporate treasurers are skewing their funding mix more towards bank lending, he says. The New Zealand Local Government Funding Agency (LGFA), which raises funds for councils, has recently begun issuing offshore debt, which has added another 'swing factor' away from the local market, he says. 'But it's not just LGFA. There is a kind of dynamic where treasurers are getting better pricing landed back into Kiwi dollars if they issue offshore,' he said. 'That's something we would see as being likely to persist, so it's a bit of a change.' Kāinga Ora (formerly the Housing Corporation) is absent from the corporate debt market after the Government in 2022 announced that future funding would be through New Zealand Debt Management – part of the Treasury. He said corporates are hedging funds raised overseas back into New Zealand dollars on quite favourable terms. 'In previous years, typically there is more issuance done domestically than offshore, but this year, a multiple of what's been done onshore has been done offshore. 'Borrowers probably see it as being reasonably positive, but from a fund manager's perspective, we would like to see more issuance in New Zealand,' Pannett said. 'Typically they will get a bit more tenor [longer duration] offshore, and price is a pretty significant motivator also.' But Pannett said it's too early to say if the local market risked becoming a backwater for corporate bond issuance. 'I would need to see a bit more evidence of that first, because it may just be that pricing has moved so much that that is where we are at this point. 'But to call it a real trend, you might need some more evidence.' Overseas bond issuance has been split between Australian, US, Swiss and European markets, with smaller deals done in Japan. Pannett said the trend of raising funds in overseas markets was 'strikingly different' from previous years, when domestic issuance came out on top. The trend means more fund managers, including those managing KiwiSaver funds, are looking overseas for opportunities. 'It's fair to say that they [fund managers] have been looking offshore to fill the void left by limited domestic corporate bond issuance,' Pannett said. Simon Eckhoff, director for syndicate and debt capital markets at ANZ Markets, Institutional, said hedging costs have been favourable throughout this year, which has resulted in New Zealand issuers tapping overseas markets. For corporate issuers in the year to date, ANZ estimates that for every $1 raised in New Zealand dollars, there has been the equivalent of $2 raised in overseas markets – in sharp contrast with history. 'There have been several factors touted as key drivers for the current dynamics, such as the comparative value of the likes of New Zealand government bonds to that of corporate bonds as well as prevailing hedging levels. 'These factors could be perceived as effectively shrinking the investible universe in New Zealand dollar debt,' Eckhoff said. 'While the New Zealand debt market has faced some challenges recently, markets typically normalise,' he said. 'In the interim, offshore debt offers New Zealand issuers an opportunity to enhance their funding diversification,' Eckhoff said. Jamie Gray is an Auckland-based journalist, covering the financial markets and the primary sector. He joined the Herald in 2011.
Otago Daily Times
5 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
Reserve Bank keen to know how Kiwis use cash
Image: RNZ The Reserve Bank is asking people how they use and store cash, saying it needs more up-to-date information as it redesigns the system. The random postal survey asks people how they prefer to pay, how often they use cash, how easy it is to deposit and withdraw coins and notes, and whether they store cash and why. The central bank is asking new questions this year such as whether people are having challenges in using cash. It will now carry out its survey annually instead of every two years. "As the steward of money and cash for New Zealand, we need to ensure that New Zealanders can access, use, and bank cash," the central bank's director of money and cash Ian Woolford said. The survey will inform its work to redesign the cash system. Retail New Zealand chief executive Carolyn Young told Morning Report the use of cash was diminishing, to less than 10 percent of transactions. While some people never used cash, there were times and places where it was critically important, she said. "In rural areas versus urban areas there is more cash that goes through transactions. "And we know intrinsically that people that are on a really tight budget, that cash is a really great tool for managing budgets." Young said cash was indispensable in emergency situations when electricity or eftpos connections go down. Hospitality businesses were more likely than retailers to no longer take cash, she said. "The Reserve Bank perspective is you don't have to take cash but you have to have an alternative method if somebody can't pay by a card." New Zealand First has put forward a members' bill to protect cash as a key option in transactions, requiring stores to take it for purchases up to $500. Young said retailers recognised the importance of cash but didn't back it being compulsory. There was a risk of robbery for businesses holding cash, and counterfeit notes were common, she said. The survey runs to October 10. If people receive a letter to voluntarily participate they can check it is legitimate by visiting the Reserve Bank website, emailing cashusesurvey@ or phoning +64 4 472 2029.
