After decades of farming salmon, Mark Gillard is stepping back from the industry to spend more time on his family farm.
The man widely considered the “Father of New Zealand Salmon Aquaculture” has resigned from New Zealand King Salmon, after first joining the company in 1985 on what was a pilot scale farm.
He was an instrumental figure in developing the technologies and system that saw the then floundering experimental project grow to become the world’s largest producer of Chinook salmon.
He was responsible for consenting, designing and building some of the early farms in Pelorus, including Waihinau and Forsyth. Mark also designed and built a small hatchery in Marlborough. In the earlier years, he managed operations in freshwater and seawater and worked on a range of projects to develop salmon farming in New Zealand.
Mark has also served in a number of industry representative roles including as a Director of Seafood NZ, NZ Salmon Farmers Association Chair for over 17 years, and Director and Deputy Chair of Aquaculture New Zealand.
More recently, Mark has worked closely with stakeholders, including Iwi and community groups, to look at appropriate new space opportunities.
“The value of his knowledge, experience and networks cannot be underestimated, and his reputation and standing in the industry has brought numerous benefits to our company. Mark has also been an excellent colleague, supporting many projects and activities not directly in his remit with good humour and wise words,” said New Zealand King Salmon CEO Grant Rosewarne.
