Aquaculture Consultancy - services offered

Mahurangi Technical Institute is pleased to offer a wide range of specialist Aquaculture Consultancy services, as detailed below.  For pricing information, please click here. 

1. Ornamental Fish Industry Consulting

Mahurangi Technical Institute offers a full range of consultancy services to the ornamental fish industry, ranging from full design of aquarium store aquatic systems through to short term troubleshooting and staff training.

Our team has many years of hands-on experience in the ornamental fish industry at retail and wholesale levels, as well as in the areas of fish breeding and distribution.  This is augmented by real experience and qualifications in retail management.

We can cut your costs and improve your profits.

2. Freshwater and Saltwater Fish Farm Design, Consulting, and Troubleshooting

We can help with all stages of fish production from hatching larvae to raising juveniles to marketable size. 

3. Production of Environmental Impact Reports

Mahurangi Technical Institute's sister company Decker Consultants Ltd. is the largest producer of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) relating to fish transfers and introductions in New Zealand.

4. Fish Breeding Services

Mahurangi Technical Institute is currently involved in leading edge research into the breeding of New Zealand Short Finned Eels for use in aquaculture.  We are also the only New Zealand breeder of Grass Carp and Silver Carp, including the production of triploid fish when sterility is required.

In addition we are involved in the breeding of a number of species of NZ native freshwater fish for reintroduction into impoverished natural habitats and for general environmental improvement.

Talk to us about your fingerling requirements.  We are happy to discuss special requests and investigate the breeding and culture of new species.  We can breed and supply you with fingerlings to grow on or develop systems for you to breed your own where applicable. 

Click here to read about our latest project involving the introduction of 850 Grass Carp into Kaipara's Lake Rotouauru.

5. Aquatic Nutrition Consultancy and Feed Design

Using the unique skills of our fish nutrition specialist, Dr Kurwie, we are able to consult on all aspects of fish nutrition and even design a food specifically for your fish's special requirements.

6. Aquarium and Water Garden Consultancy

Individual aquaria and water gardens often experience problems and it can often be hard to get good advice from agencies whose primary purpose is to promote the sale of their own products.

Mahurangi Technical Institute is able to offer expert troubleshooting services, produce reports to aid in dispute resolution or, best of all, advise at the planning stage of your project to avoid those problems in the first place. 

7. Networking

For those rare occasions when we are unable to meet your needs in-house, Mahurangi Technical Institute is able to draw on an extensive network of contacts within the aquaculture, environmental and aquarium industry fields.  If we are unable to help you ourselves, we probably know somebody who can.

Some of Our Recent Projects:

Mahurangi Trap and Transfer Project

In conjunction with the Auckland Regional Council and students from Mahurangi College MTI is involved with the trapping of NZ native fish, in particular the whitebait species, and transferring them upstream of the ARC flow monitoring weir behind Mahurangi College.
 
This project is designed to mitigate the negative effects of this weir on the migration of native fish and to double as an educational activity for the students involved..
 
This project is ongoing and began in 2007.

 
Puhoi Motorway Fish Transfer

MTI is working with The Northern Gateway alliance (builders of the tollroad) and NIWA in a program to release Giant Kokopu, Galaxias argenteus, in the catchment of the Otanerua Stream near Orewa.
 
This stream has historically had this species of fish but none have been reported for many years.  It is the policy of the Northern gateway Alliance to return the environment to a better state than it was in before they began construction.  As a part of this thrust MTI is providing captive bred Giant Kokopu for reintroduction and is cooperating with NIWA on the tagging of the fish with radio tags for future monitoring.  
 

Pet Store Consultancy

MTI is currently acting as consultants to New Zealand's leading chain of pet stores.
 
This service includes a nation wide review of all aquarium related activities, redesign and installation of aquarium filtration systems and other life support systems and ongoing staff training in the field of aquatics.
 
This ongoing project is proving to be a self funding exercise for the client as the savings realized are far in excess of the MTI consultancy fees.
 
At least a dozen smaller pet stores also use this service on an occasional basis. MTI staff with their combined experience in aquaculture system design, aquatic biology, ornamental fish farming and retailing are uniquely positioned to assist in this surprisingly complex field of ornamental fish retailing.
 

Auckland Flower Show 2008

Mahurangi Technical Institute recently assisted a number of entries at the inaugral Auckland Flower Show with displays of live freshwater fish that were incorporated in to their gardens.
Particularly successful was the garden named “Meat and 2 Veg” that was entered by the Manukau City Council. This entry achieved a “Gold Award” for the garden, a “Silver Award” for lighting and a “Merit Award” for construction and most importantly from the MTI point of view it achieved “Best in Show Green Award for Sustainability”.
 

Auckland Regional Council

Mahurangi Technical Institute recently provided assistance to the ARC in the development of an information flyer on Aucklands Freshwater Environment. Please click here to download a copy of the flyer

To contact the Aquaculture Consultancy service please click here