The economic contribution of marine farming in the Marlborough region: A Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) analysis

November 9, 2015

The Marine Farming Association (MFA), which represents marine farmers operating in the top of the South Island, commissioned NZIER to assess the economic contribution of Marlborough aquaculture (comprising marine farming and processing of its produce) to both Marlborough and New Zealand economies. This report describes a computable general equilibrium (CGE) analysis using a model of the regional and national economy to estimate that contribution and the effect of a change from current activity levels. Globally, the output of "capture fisheries" involved in harvesting wild fish stocks has been relatively stable over the past 30 years, hovering around 90 million tonnes per year, the result of wild fisheries becoming fully utilised and quota limits coming into effect.