Best management practice guidelines for salmon farms in the Marlborough Sounds: Part 1: Benthic environmental quality standards and monitoring protocol (Version 1.1 January 2018)

Abstract

This is a guidance document to inform the development and implementation of benthic monitoring of salmon farms in the Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand. The standards were developed in an integrated working group environment, with representation from: Marlborough District Council (MDC), New Zealand King Salmon, the Sounds Advisory Group to MDC, Cawthron Institute, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research and the Ministry for Primary Industries/Fisheries New Zealand. The aim is to provide consistent and clear requirements for the benthic monitoring and management of existing farms, based around an agreed set of environmental quality standards with accompanying rationale. Details are provided about how and when to conduct the surveys, along with consequences in the event of non-compliance. It is intended to be a living document that will be reviewed, updated and amended as required. This is the first revision of the guidance document published in 2015 (Keeley et al. 2015).