We are very proud to note that Stoney Bourke is the recipient of the Marine Farming Association (MFA) 2022 award for “Outstanding Marine Farmer”.

Stoney is the principal of MacLab Tasman, a joint venture with MacLab (NZ) that was established in 2017 farming mussels in the Tasman/Golden Bay area.

Under Stoney’s leadership, MacLab Tasman is setting very high standards in marine farming in these challenging areas now managing well over 200 lines and producing over 3000 tonnes of mussels per annum.

In July 2021 Stoney had to overcome adversity when a severe storm caused massive devastation in Tasman Bay with some 80 crop lines breaking away. The magnitude of the destruction was equally matched by the response to the event by Stoney, his team and others. The effort enabled a high proportion of the mussels on the lines to be saved and equipment damage and environmental impact to be minimal.

Stoney then worked with Cawthron to model the storm and provide industry with important information that can reduce the risk with open water farming.

Stoney is an industry mentor and role model for people joining our industry, he has trained many skippers and deckhands that have moved on to work for other companies. He is a champion for the mussel industry and is on the MFA environment committee.

This is the second time in the last 5 years that MacLab (NZ) has featured in the awards for Marine Farmer of the Year with Scott Gillanders (MacLab (NZ) Chief Operating Officer) winning the award in 2019.