The Ministry of Fisheries has given approval to a Dunedin-based company to conduct further research on harvesting cockles from Otago Harbour, following favourable research findings.
Southern Clams was last September given approval to harvest cockles from the middle banks of Otago Harbour as part of the company's five-year research permit.
Ministry approval was granted following a Ryder Consultancy Ltd survey, which concluded the effects of commercial harvesting were minor.
Southern Clams director Roger Belton said he was delighted with the results and the company would now move to the second phase of the project, with each of the three phases being peer-reviewed by the ministry.
"This research project is providing us with the opportunity to demonstrate to the community the minimal environmental impact we believe harvesting will have on the middle banks of the harbour," Mr Belton said.
A full resource survey is planned for the summer of 2011-12 after two years of experimental harvesting, allowing comparison with previous biomass surveys.
