FAQ

You can find us at selected specialty food retailers and fishmongers across New Zealand, and on the menu at some of the country's best restaurants. We've also got a range of partners throughout Australia, Singapore, USA, and more.

However, the best way to get King Salmon from us? Buy direct from this website.

King (or Chinook) Salmon is naturally richer in omega-3 fatty acids and has a higher fat-to-flesh ratio than Atlantic Salmon, which gives it a buttery, clean flavour and a silkier texture. It's generally harder to farm at scale, which is part of why it's less common. Most of what you see in supermarkets across the world is Atlantic. King is rarer, and much more demanding to raise. We think the difference is worth it.

We raise one species, in one harbour, in one small operation. Everything about our fish — from breeding stock to feed to processing — is managed in-house. We're accountable for every part of how our fish are raised, and work with utmost care to provide the finest quality King Salmon in the world. We're not a production line.

We're 100% New Zealand owned, and a partnership with local Māori. Plus we've been refining what we do for over 40 years, in one of the most pristine environments in the world.

Akaroa Harbour is a drowned volcanic crater on Banks Peninsula. It's deep, well-flushed by tidal currents, and sheltered (most of the time). It faces south, drawing cool, nutrient-rich water from Antarctica, and is where wild populations of King Salmon in New Zealand naturally live.

The water quality is exceptional, and constant tidal flows keep it that way. The Bates family identified it as the right place to raise King Salmon decades ago, and it's also the home harbour of our local rūnanga, Ōnuku, who have been mana whenua here long before we arrived. Our harbour is more than just a backdrop, it's the reason our fish thrive.

Scale is the biggest difference. We're a small, single-site operation with a single focus, from hatchery through to processing. We are 100% New Zealand owned, in partnership with local iwi.

This partnership governs our activity and reflects our values of kaitiakitanga, ensuring that what we do today will benefit generations to come.

Our fish grow slowly, replicating the lifecycle of wild salmon in New Zealand. This is reflected in our expert team on the water and in our processing plant, using years of experience with our fish to guide our practices.

We operate under New Zealand's aquaculture and food safety regulations, which set some of the highest environmental and welfare standards in the industry. We're members of Aquaculture New Zealand and hold the industry-leading A+ sustainable aquaculture standard.

Our hatchery, sea-farm, and processing operations are all subject to independent audit. If you have a specific question about standards or documentation, contact us directly. We're transparent about what we do.

Our salmon are fed a carefully balanced diet of protein, carbohydrate, and fat. Each plays a specific role in how they grow.

Ingredients: Faba beans, legume protein concentrate, animal protein, fishmeal (hoki trimmings), wheat, wheat protein, canola oil, fish oil, algal oil, poultry oil, vitamins and minerals.

Yes. We sell direct from the wharf at Akaroa on Sundays from 3.30pm-4.15pm. If you're local or in the area then it's a great way to get the freshest fish possible. Check our social media for the most recent information, as sales can be closed due to weather events or issues at the wharf. Our Wigram shop (open Mon-Fri: 9am-5pm, and Sat: 9am-2pm) is another great way to get processed salmon locally.

Akaroa King Salmon is a partnership that includes Ōnuku Runanga, the mana whenua of Akaroa Harbour. We employ people from our local community across our farm, hatchery, and processing operations wherever possible. Our partnership structure also guarantees that profits are returned to our community.

We're also active in partnerships throughout the community, from providing salmon frames for pest-control by the Banks Peninsula Conservation Trust, to smolt for feeding unwell animals at the South Island Wildlife Hospital.