We have an export-certified processing factory that holds live lobster and also produces fresh and frozen products which are sold nationally and also exported to Europe, Asia, Australia and America.
We are one of the very few iwi who process our own fish from our quota, and participate in every aspect of the seafood industry.
It may be more profitable in the short term to just lease our quota, but then we wouldn’t create jobs and gain experience for our people.
Through our participation have a vantage point to see opportunities in the industry and get the most value possible out of every fish we catch.
Our skilled production team processes more than two tonnes of fresh fish on average per day, to the highest export standards. We invest heavily in training for our staff. It takes at least six months and more often a year for someone to learn to fillet and handle all the species of fish we get through our plant at the required rate.
We need our people to be skilled in the jobs we have today, and we also need them to develop the right stuff to do the jobs and manage the staff we will need in the future. We see job creation and training as a vital part of our industrial renaissance.
As part of our commitment to kaitiakitanga and our respect for the fish we process we make it a priority to get as much value as we can from each and every fish.
Lobster caught in the CRA3 area around the East Coast are swum in our lobster tanks and graded from there. Our quota is caught through Port Nicholson Fisheries and Aotearoa Fisheries Limited.
AFL crayfish presently go to Auckland and Port Nicholson crayfish go to Wellington. Most of is then exported live to China. It is an important part of our business. With 22 iwi working together Port Nicolson is the biggest grouping of Maori shareholders in the fishing industry, and in April 2016 the crayfish businesses of the two companies will join forces.
Live lobster must be handled with great care.
Our lobster tanks are carefully designed and operated to simulate natural conditions so lobster get to market in peak condition for maximum return.
We keep the water as close to seawater as possible. The most important of these is dissolved oxygen above 95% at 11degC and pH between 8.1-8.4. Ammonia is removed using advanced bio filtration methods where naturally-occurring bacteria consume waste products.