Organic NZ Salmon Farm

About Ormond's Aquaculture Organic Salmon Farm

Ormond Aquaculture Limited (OAL) is an organic freshwater aquaculture enterprise established by Peter and Coreen Wilhelmus in 1994. The Salmon Farm draws water from a spring fed stream tributary to the Waiau River and is situated close to Wairau Valley settlement, some 35km south of Blenheim in the Wairau Valley.

Ormond maintains a very high standard of environmental management of its system which enhances the organic status of the aquaculture complex. This environmental management was rewarded in 1997 by the Company winning two of the inaugural Marlborough District Council's biennial environmental awards. The feat was repeated in 1999 when the overall supreme award was also won.

Our Organic Salmon Farm

Our Salmon farm has the capability to produce up to 15 tonnes per annum of salmon with potential to expand considerably. The annual production at present is about 12 tonnes.

Our Salmon Farm produces mixed sex fish. The reason for this is that we believe in natural environmental management and we don't use artificial products or any form of genetic engineering. Mixed sex farming ensures no sexed reversed fish are released to the wild and thus do not upset the natural balance between male and female fish which could lead to a loss of "natural" stock.

Ormond Aquaculture is a disease-free salmon farm run on proven, environmentally sound techniques recognised by the company being awarded the Marlborough Environmental Awards.

We have obtained a small stock of Sockeye salmon smolt which are progressing very well. Part of the development program for these fish is to try and achieve by organic methods, the strong red/pink colouring achieved by wild stock in North American and Canadian waters.

Our aquaculture complex is a certified (CERTNZ) organic freshwater aquaculture Salmon Farm. It is understood that Ormond is the only certified organic freshwater aquaculture complex in Australia and New Zealand.

Visitors

We are part of the Wairau Valley visitor attraction circuit and our Salmon Farm is open to tourists. Visitors are welcome between 11.00am and 5.00pm daily but prior advice of visit is requested for bio-security and management reasons.

Rearing Programme

Each year we retain selected salmon stock for breeding and we are able to have eggs and smolt available for sale. Eyed eggs are usually available for supply about mid-June. Due to the adverse conditions experienced through the continuing drought in Marlborough.

Every third year, breeding stock are obtained from river run fish to strengthen the in-farm gene pool. Water quality and temperature at Ormond Salmon Farm normally enable a high survival yield of eggs and smolt.

Bio Security

We are extremely sensitive about our on site bio-security management to the extent that local Fish and Game Council staff have commented on the apparent over caution. The reasons for a tight bio-security regime are clear to us.

Enteric red-mouth and whirling disease are devastating to salmonoids. The disease is known to have occurred in some South Island water-sheds, but not in the Wairau catchment in Marlborough.

Whirling disease is not common in farmed salmon but if it occured it has the potential to spread to native and exotic trout, with potentially devastating consequences as well as render the salmon farm stock useless.

Ormond Aquaculture has never had either disease and the Salmon Farm is carefully maintained and managed to ensure a disease-free environment.

Processing the Salmon

We operate a licensed process facility on site and supplies fresh, chilled, gilled and gutted salmon to the local and export markets. Fresh fish are available either whole as loose or vacuum packed fillets. All fish are pacified in a small bath then ickyed to present the fish in best possible eating condition.

Further on-processing of salmon including a traditional hot smoking using an original ancient brine recipe and warm smoke together with gravadlax production is now done on site.