Aquaculture gives back to Mohua/Golden Bay community
“It’s hugely rewarding to see aquaculture revenue translated into positive outcomes across the bay, creating benefits that are felt throughout the community.”
Reefball early colonisation
Aquaculture is an important economic driver for many small New Zealand communities.
In Mohua / Golden Bay, it’s also a powerful example of how industry and community can work together to create lasting environmental, social and economic benefits.
Golden Bay has a long connection with aquaculture. As mussel farming expanded, local leaders saw an opportunity to ensure development benefited not only industry, but also the people and environment of the bay.
That vision led to the creation of the Golden Bay Community Trust, giving the community a voice in the future of the bay while securing long-term benefits from aquaculture.
Today, income generated from community-owned marine farm water space is reinvested locally, providing ongoing funding for projects across the region.
The trust distributes around $50,000 each year to support charitable initiatives, including environmental protection, education, recreation, community wellbeing, and arts and cultural projects. This amount is expected to grow to $400,000 annually in the near future.
Dorje Strang, Vice Chair of the Golden Bay Community Trust, says aquaculture has created a sustainable funding source that continues to benefit the region year after year.
“Through our annual grants programme, we've been able to support an incredibly diverse range of recipients, from schools, early childhood centres, health and social service organisations, environmental projects, sports clubs, arts and cultural groups, community halls and volunteer organisations.”
Since 2021, the trust has distributed more than $400,000 in grants to organisations and initiatives across Golden Bay.
These grants support practical projects that make a real difference, whether by helping young people and families, improving community facilities, protecting the environment, strengthening wellbeing, or enabling local groups to deliver services and events.
“It's hugely rewarding to see aquaculture revenue translated into positive outcomes across the bay, creating benefits that are felt throughout the community,” says Strang.
Aquaculture's contribution extends beyond economic returns.
It is also helping support efforts to protect and restore the marine environment that sustains local communities.
The Mohua Marine Trust was established to protect, restore and enhance Golden Bay's marine ecosystems. Its work focuses on improving biodiversity and rebuilding marine habitats.
With some funding from the Golden Bay Community Trust, the organisation has been advancing reef restoration projects, including the deployment of artificial reef balls near Onekaka Wharf. Early results are already showing encouraging signs of marine life returning to the area.
These projects highlight how partnerships between community organisations, environmental groups and the aquaculture sector can deliver positive outcomes for both people and nature.
Mohua Marine Trust Secretary Neil Wilson says support from marine farmers has been critical to the project's success.
“We poured the 20 reef balls for the pilot project by November last year and they were sitting in Solly's yard in Tākaka,” says Wilson. “Sanford offered to transport them to Tarakohe and Clearwater Mussels volunteered to deploy them. These were massive offers.”
In February 2026, the reef balls were successfully deployed with the help of Brian Godsiff and the crew of Clearwater Resolution.
Since then, trustee John Davis has monitored the site and documented how quickly marine life has colonised the structures.
“Just three months after they went in, the 20 reef balls have algae, bladder kelp and tiny bryozoans on them,” says Wilson. “John saw a range of fish life as well. When we scale to the consented 420 balls, we expect our project to make a major difference to Mohua Golden Bay's marine habitat.”
The trust is also exploring additional restoration techniques, including the use of mussel shell and seeding mussels onto reef structures.
Together, the Golden Bay Community Trust and Mohua Marine Trust demonstrate the broader value of aquaculture. Beyond producing food and supporting jobs, aquaculture in Mohua / Golden Bay is helping fund community projects, strengthen local connections and restore the marine environment.
It is a story of giving back, where the benefits of aquaculture are creating positive impacts both on land and beneath the waters of Golden Bay.
Read more about the Golden Bay Community Trust and the Mohua Marine Trust.