Background
The Andy Ritchie Fund (AR Fund) was set up in the year 2000. The purpose of the Scholarship Fund is to support practical research in the field of New Zealand Aquaculture, to gain better knowledge and understanding of the environment we operate in, the species farmed and any impacts associated with marine farming operations.
$2,500 per annum is available. Ideally for a master’s student to assist in research for the Aquaculture industry. The funding area is nationwide, but preference will be given to projects that benefit Top of the South aquaculture. It is open to all species and aquaculture products.
Each year a grant will be available for specific research topics. The topics for the current year are listed below
The Committee has the discretion to approve grants outside the above criteria if it considers them to be appropriate.
Research Topics
The Research Topics identified for the 2020 grant are:
- Wild Spat Catch: Reasons for long term reduction in wild perna spat catch in the Pelorus Sound.
- Spat Retention: Increasing proportion of mussel spat grown through to harvest size (currently around 5%).
- Plastics: Innovation to replace use of plastics in marine farming.
- Marine Debris: Innovation to reduce at source the likelihood of marine debris arising from marine farming.
- Spat Monitoring: New methods to cost-effectively monitor spat levels in Pelorus Sound while retaining high levels of compatibility with the long-term data set.
- Any other topic that benefits aquaculture in the Top of the South will be considered by the committee
Applications close 15 November 2020