Akaroa Salmon isn't just a business, but a way of life for our team. Willie, our farm manager, started 25 years ago with Duncan, living out near the farm in a small wooden cabin and you'll still find him out there caring for our salmon. We're small enough to know everyone in our team and they're all passionate about our work and our community. We now provide over 20 jobs in Akaroa and double that in Christchurch, smoking and processing our King Salmon.
Akaroa Salmon is a 100% New Zealand owned partnership that includes Ngati Porou, Ōnuku Runanga (the mana moana or traditional guardians of Akaroa Harbour) and the founding Bates family. This combination gives us a holistic view across generations on how we can work with our environment and provide for our rural community.
Our legacy goes beyond the four decades of sustainable ocean-farming here that we have already achieved. Ōnuku has a long history of aquaculture in Akaroa with kaimataitai. Ngati Porou trace their history back to the arrival in Aotearoa of Maui from Hawaiki and the whale rider, Paikea.
Together this partnership principles of this whakawhanaungatanga (relationship) hold our commitment to:
- Long term environmental sustainability — so that our mokopuna (grandchildren) can enjoy the beautiful taonga that is Akaroa Harbour.
- An intergenerational view of development that goes beyond normal business practice.
- Use this investment to contribute to the growth, development, and employment opportunities for Ōnuku, Ngati Porou and local communities.
The Bates Family had already been farming in Banks Peninsula since 1866 when a diving expedition in 1985 sparked the idea of founding Akaroa Salmon. After building an experimental pen in Lucas Bay, we worked closely with local community and iwi to gain an experimental license to farm King Salmon. Strong historical knowledge of the local environment and skill in animal husbandry has led Akaroa from these humble beginnings to become one of the most renowned King Salmon farms in the world.
Our people are experts in their field with many having worked here for over twenty years — Luana, Willie and Anita to name a few. Our team take pride in knowing every little detail about growing the best salmon for you — it's part of our Manaakitanga (a sense of hospitality), giving of oneself, a way of providing food from our environment. This generosity has always been a hallmark of Akaroa Salmon, right back to Tom and Duncan Bates hand delivering the finest King Salmon to the first chefs who supported us.
