New Zealand’s brain trust needed to realise our aquaculture potential

New Zealand’s aquaculture sector is standing on the edge of a transformative wave. One powered by science, sustainability, and strategic collaboration. Carl Carrington, CEO of New Zealand King Salmon and alumnus of Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland, says the country has the talent and ingenuity to lead the world in sustainable aquaculture. But only if it harnesses its collective brainpower.

“King salmon are notoriously difficult to grow and as a country, we've accumulated a lot of IP in that space,” says Carrington. “Anything to do with farming King salmon, we have to invent it ourselves, right here in New Zealand.”

That innovation-first mindset is not just internal to his company. It extends to deep partnerships with academic institutions. New Zealand King Salmon collaborates with researchers at the University of Auckland, the Cawthron Institute, and local talent from Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT).

“Nobody is doing scientific research on understanding King salmon unless it's really done here in New Zealand,” Carrington explains. “Those academic institutions are absolutely critical. Not just for scientific development, but for bringing through our future aquaculture specialists. We need marine science people. We need biologists. We need vets. We need all of those technical skills on the farm.”

One recent example is the company’s support for AMES, a start-up team that came through the Venture Lab incubator run by the University of Auckland Business School’s Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE). AMES is developing wave-powered energy technology and was hosted by New Zealand King Salmon in the Marlborough Sounds to test its prototype. The company provided transport and technical information, giving the team an opportunity to validate its hypotheses and identify areas where they need to pivot.

“Wave energy is one area that’s obviously quite relevant for us,” says Carrington. “And we do wind up doing a lot of collaboration with a lot of Kiwi and international companies.”

For Carrington, the case for sustainable aquaculture has never been stronger. Salmon is prized for both taste and nutritional properties. But its appeal extends beyond the plate.

“Increasingly, consumers are looking at their choices of food through a sustainability lens,” he says. “One of our core strategic pillars is about respecting the whole fish. We look to get 100% utilisation of everything.”

This zero-waste philosophy has led to a growing pet food business, and the construction of New Zealand’s first finfish ensilage plant which captures the nutrient potential of our organic by-products which are then converts into fertiliser and biogas. It’s part of a broader effort to reduce carbon impact, which as a sustainable protein source, salmon rates favourably for. According to the government’s recent aquaculture development plan, salmon has only about 7 percent of the carbon footprint of beef.

Perhaps the most ambitious sustainability move is Blue Endeavour, a pioneering open ocean salmon farm set to open later this year, seven kilometres off Cape Lambert outside the Marlborough Sounds. It’s the world’s first project to commercially farm King salmon in exposed marine conditions, and one Carrington sees as essential for scale and resilience.

“We’ve certainly experienced firsthand the challenges of climate change and warming waters,” he says. “We’re investing in R&D around thermotolerance. We believe we can add about 0.3 degrees of tolerance per generation of salmon. Over 10 years, that’s about one degree. We think we can adapt the fish faster than climate change.”

For New Zealand King Salmon, Blue Endeavour is as much about industry leadership as it is about production.

The New Zealand Government has set an ambitious target for aquaculture to reach $3 billion in revenue by 2035. Carrington believes that hitting that goal requires more than innovation and talent, it demands regulatory support. “I think everybody realises that New Zealand needs to have an export-led recovery. It's absolutely vital for our economic prosperity,” he says. “Economic prosperity underpins everything we aspire to do as a country. It pays for healthcare, law and order, education. If you don't have it, you don't have the living standards we all want.”

To the next generation of innovators and aquaculture professionals, Carrington offers a challenge, and an invitation. “Find what really interests you. Experiment. The most important skill people are going to have is how to think. Critically, logically, abstractly, conceptually, and creatively.”

It’s a mindset that New Zealand will need in abundance. Not just to sustain its waters, but to shape the future of its food, economy and climate resilience.