BioMarine was created in the 1970’s by two visionary graduate students with an eye to the future. From humble beginnings the company has flourished and is now a thriving export led business employing 30 staff. BioMarine produces around 4 million oysters annually of which over 90 percent are exported.
Biomarine has 24ha. of leases in the Mahurangi providing 250.000dz of pacific oysters. Associated farmers from Parua Bay in the Whangarei Heads contribute a further 50.000dz to our annual season.
In 2007 Biomarine was granted consent for a new growing area of 75ha in the mouth of the Kaipara Harbour.
This Area is well removed from land being 4km South of the Tapora Peninsula and 6km from South Kaipara Head.
Biomarine has a processing plant at Snells Beach, on the Mahurangi Harbour, to ensure oysters are as fresh as possible when processed.
As the new farm develops a new processing plant will be built near Warkworth, mid way between each major growing area.
In a competitive global market our advantage is New Zealand’s clean green status and our pristine growing waters. These are important considerations for the world’s most discerning markets such as Japan, Europe and the United States.
We do not use artificially selected and bred hatchery oysters, nor do we raise our oysters on artificial or factory produced foods at any stage of their lives. This keeps our growing ecosystem completely consistent with the surrounding ecosystem, an important part of providing natural sustainable oysters.
We have committed to the IFOAM organic programme as a measure of this. This programme requires that every part of our growing and processing operation is audited to ensure that it is truly “natural” and uses no artificial or chemical processes.