A collaboration that began within Fish Futures, focused on tackling invasive species and research barriers, has grown into a formal, organisation‑wide partnership between the Department of Conservation (DOC) and the Cawthron Institute.
The partnership emerged as researchers and partners working through Fish Futures identified practical barriers slowing progress on high‑priority freshwater and fisheries research — particularly around invasive species management.
One early challenge was the complex species translocation permitting process, which did not clearly recognise the unique, highly controlled nature of Cawthron’s aquatic research facilities. This created delays and uncertainty for Fish Futures work involving invasive species, despite strong alignment with conservation and biosecurity objectives.
These challenges echoed issues identified in Fish Futures–supported research by Rayne et al. (2025), which highlighted how freshwater translocation in Aotearoa New Zealand is shaped by fragmented governance, multiple authorisations, limited technical guidance, and legacy processes primarily designed to prevent biosecurity risk. The paper noted that while these safeguards are essential, they can inadvertently constrain native species research, restoration, and innovation — particularly where research is novel or undertaken in controlled facilities.
Rather than addressing these constraints on a project‑by‑project basis, Fish Futures provided a neutral space for DOC and Cawthron to step back and ask a bigger question: how could collaboration be structured so that critical research could happen more efficiently, without compromising environmental safeguards?
The result is a new relationship agreement that formalises how DOC and Cawthron will work together across aquatic science, conservation, and innovation. The agreement reflects a shared commitment to:
- supporting research that addresses threats to indigenous aquatic biodiversity,
- removing unnecessary barriers to high‑value science,
- strengthening pathways from research to conservation action,
- and improving collaboration across freshwater and fisheries programmes.
Importantly, the agreement now provides greater clarity and recognition for purpose‑built research environments, helping to enable responsible, well‑governed research on species of concern, such as golden clam and brown bullhead catfish.
Fish Futures did not create the partnership, but it played a critical catalyst role — surfacing system‑level barriers, connecting people across organisations, and creating the conditions for informal collaboration to evolve into a strategic, long‑term commitment.
This is exactly the kind of outcome Fish Futures was designed to support: collaboration that extends beyond individual projects and leaves a lasting legacy for freshwater and fisheries research in Aotearoa New Zealand.
If you’re interested in collaborative freshwater or fisheries research, or in learning how Fish Futures supports system‑level change, get in touch with the Fish Futures team.