A new way to catch fish alive and unharmed, secretly developed in Nelson and unveiled yesterday, could revolutionize the New Zealand fishing industry and take hold around the world, Seafood New Zealand chairman Eric Barratt says.
Precision Seafood Harvesting (PSH) was suggested by Nelson Plant and Food Research science group leader Alistair Jerrett to a skeptical fishing industry several years ago. But after the idea was developed, and with an investment of NZD 52 million (USD 42.8 million, EUR 31.7 million) by three of New Zealand’s biggest seafood companies and the Government, it has won the doubters over.
Dozens of people, including the entire crew of the Sealord trawler Otakou, signed confidentiality agreements ahead of yesterday’s launch of the new system to just under 300 delegates at the Seafood NZ conference in Auckland.
