New Zealand seafood industry members who have made a significant contribution to the industry have been recognised in Wellington tonight in the inaugural Seafood Stars Awards.

The awards are part of the industry’s celebrations to mark the 30th anniversary of the fisheries Quota Management System with awards for excellence and innovation within the industry.

“Every day in fishing communities around the country thousands of people go to work to contribute to our $1.8 billion export industry whether it’s putting to sea in our inshore fisheries, working away from home in our deepwater fisheries, working on salmon and mussel farms, or onshore processing and marketing our products,” says Chief Executive Tim Pankhurst.

“The awards reward innovation and excellence within our industry and recognise the contribution our diverse workforce makes to this important industry and their commitment to its ongoing sustainability.

“There are thousands of stars in our industry. Tonight we are recognising five of them.”

The winners are:

Longstanding Service Award:

  • Doug Saunders-Loder (Motueka), President of the New Zealand Federation of Commercial Fishermen. Download photo
  • Rob Pooley (Marlborough), President New Zealand Marine Farming Association. Download photo

Seafood Innovations - Sustainability Award:

Young Achiever Award:

 

Background information

Doug Saunders-Loder 

Doug Saunders-Loder has been president of the New Zealand Federation of Commercial Fishermen for the past 13 years.

A staunch advocate for inshore fishermen he represents their interests in a wide variety of  settings and manages key stakeholder relationships with Maritime NZ, the Ministry for Primary Industries, fisheries science working groups, and community stakeholder organisations including the Southern Seabird Solutions Trust.

In addition to his role as president of the federation he also holds the following positions:

•    Chairman of the Challenger Oyster Management Company

•    Chairman of the NZ Tuna Management Association

•    Director Area2 Inshore Finfish Management Company Ltd

•    Chairman of Challenger Scallop Enhancement Company Ltd

•    Chairman of Southern Inshore Fisheries Management Company Ltd

•    Director of Fisheries Inshore New Zealand Ltd

Rob Pooley

 

Rob Pooley has had a life-long association with the seafood industry, initially as a crayfisherman in North Canterbury and for the past 40 years with the marine farming industry in the top of the South Island.

A pioneer of the marine farming industry, Rob’s father Bill gained a mussel license for off Motunau Beach in North Canterbury, where father and son were lobster and long line fishing in the 1970s. Problems working in the unsheltered, open water meant the farm was never developed.

Rob Pooley’s first foray into marine farming in the Marlborough Sounds was in partnership with Chris Godsiff and Kevin Bonnington at Rams Head in the mid-1970s. By 1981 Rob and his family were living and working in Elaine Bay. His son Simon has followed his father into the business which has interests across the top of the South Island.

Rob has served for 25 years on the Executive Committee of the Marine Farming Association, including four years as vice president and the last 16 years as president. He is also on the board of Aquaculture New Zealand.

In addition, he has served on various industry boards, supporting companies and executive committees such as the Marlborough Shellfish Quality Programme, the Mussel Industry Council, the New Zealand Aquaculture Council and Marine and General Ltd.

He is currently a director of Ngai Tahu Seafood Ltd and Ngati Koa Ltd. He is also a director of numerous seafood companies including Just Mussels Ltd, RP Holdings Ltd, Tawhitinui Greenshell Ltd, and Golden Bay Marine Farmers Consortium Ltd.

Dave Kellian

Dave Kellian has been a fisherman for more than 30 years. Dave skippers his own 20m vessel, longlining for southern bluefin, bigeye and yellowfin tuna. Over the years he's fished in New Zealand, Australia and South Africa using a wide range of fishing techniques.

Dave Kellian’s concern for the environment and the impact of commercial fishing practices on it, particularly seabird populations, led to the design and development of seabird mitigation solutions. He has worked as a liaison officer, spreading the word of "seabird smart fishing” practices to fellow fishermen and has served on the management committee of the Southern Seabird Solutions Trust since 2002. 

His outstanding leadership in the field of conservation and the environment was recognised by receiving the New Zealand Green Ribbon Award in 2004. Dave Kellian’s outstanding service was recognised offshore last year at the Sea Web Summit in New Orleans where he was a finalist in the innovation category.

He was recognised by his peers earlier this year at the New Zealand Federation of Commercial Fishermen’s Conference when you received the Electronic Navigation Shield for his “seabird smart” work.

Adam Clow

Adam Clow is a third generation fisherman based on the Coromandel. He is the owner and skipper of the FV Southern Cross and fishes from North Cape to East Cape, primarily for snapper.

In 2012 he was a joint winner of the Seabird Smart Award for his innovative approach to reducing risks to seabirds from fishing. 

Adam Clow has been instrumental in driving change in education and practice within the fishing industry with respect to mitigation techniques to avoid seabird capture particularly the black petrel in the Hauraki Gulf.

His ongoing work in this area was recognised in 2014 when he was awarded the prestigious Holdaway Award by the Hauraki Gulf Forum for making a significant contribution to conservation in the Gulf.

In 2016, Adam volunteered to participate in trialling electronic monitoring with proxy seabirds (page 26) attached to lines to give greater transparency to operations on the water. The trial is a collaboration between Adam, The Department of Conservation, the Ministry for Primary Industries and Trident Systems.

Te Tane Trinick

Te Tane Trinick is National Sales Manager with Mt Cook Alpine Salmon based at its Auckland office.

Te Tane Trinick, has demonstrated a strong commitment to the seafood industry’s future through various roles within the industry.

Te Tane’s interest in aquaculture and sustainable seafood sources began at an early age fishing and diving on the East Coast before going on to complete a Bachelor of Science, majoring in aquaculture.

Te Tane’s talents were recognised in 2010 when he was selected by Te Ohu Kaimoana and Japanese seafood company Nissui for a year-long scholarship in Japan.

That investment paid off with Te Tane returning to New Zealand to work for Sealord, Foodstuffs and FMCG and now as National Sales Manager for Mt Cook Alpine Salmon who say Te Tane is proving to be an impressive advocate, not only for the company, but for everything New Zealand seafood has to offer.