EnviroStrat is leading the development of a sea urchin (kina) enhancement industry under the project Kinanomics. It’s a new way of looking at fisheries and aquaculture. The enhancement model provides regional employment opportunities and could play an important role in marine ecosystem management as it provides an incentive to control kina populations. In some areas around New Zealand, kina overpopulation has become a real problem.
Kinanomics involves hand catching malnourished kina from ‘barren’ areas of the seabed (where high densities of kina have grazed down the kelp to bare rock), transferring them live to land-based aquaculture systems and ‘enhancing’ them (or fattening their roe) using a specially formulated aquafeed for export to high value markets in East Asia.
Removing kina from barrens allows kelp forests to become reestablished. Kelp communities are an important functional marine habitat, and have a range of ecosystem benefits that include; promoting increased biodiversity, nutrient absorption (water quality improvement), and provides a pathway to carbon sequestration that contributes to climate resilience. They also hold a great deal of value to Kiwis who enjoy the outdoors and play in the marine environment.
Through delivery of the project, the Kinanomics team are focused on understanding the enhancement potential of kina, its relative value in target markets in East Asia, and how best to remove kina to promote the best possible kelp recovery. We are seeking to develop a deep understanding of the investment case of a kina enhancement industry, and layout a pathway to realise a thriving commercial industry here in New Zealand.
EnviroStrat are collaborating with international sea urchin enhancement experts Urchinomics and locally Ngati Porou Seafoods to deliver the project. In addition, we work with a range of stakeholders in Kinanomics that include; the commercial fisheries sector, Government, iwi, universities and the science industry. Kinanomics is an 18-month project that is scheduled to be completed in mid-2024.
