Fishing and Aquaculture

The Northland Dashboard

(Data source: Infometrics Regional Database)

This sector, although still small compared to other industry sectors in Northland, is already punching well above its weight at the national level.  While its contribution to the regional GDP is still small, it provides over 10% of the national value of the fishing and aquaculture sector.

Northland is notably home to NIWA’s world-leading fisheries and aquaculture research centre. Its base at Bream Bay supports a growing aquaculture industry throughout the region including oyster, and abalone farming, and the development of the world’s first on-land kingfish farm.

As with other industry sectors, fishing and aquaculture has been adversely affected by the economic downturn, though less dramatically than some other larger sectors. 

The sector’s GDP growth over the last ten years in Northland compares positively to that of the sector nationally, and at times is tracking ahead of national growth.