A new report is recommending three Marlborough Sound salmon farms be relocated to help improve the environment.
King Salmon's Waitata farm in Pelorus Sound. Photo: Supplied
The report was written by an independent advisory panel after the previous government proposed the area's resource management plan specifically zone six alternative locations for salmon farms.
The advisory panel considered submissions and public hearings on the proposal to relocate up to six Marlborough Sounds salmon farms to more sustainable sites.
It said relocating three of them would allow the New Zealand King Salmon Company to improve the environment by reducing the effects on the seabed, and improving fish health without sacrificing jobs or profits.
The farms are currently in Otanerau Bay, Waihinau Bay, and Ruakaka Bay.
However the panel did not recommend relocating the other three sites, due to navigational safety concerns and cultural factors.
Fisheries Minister Stuart Nash is still some months away from making a final decision on what to do, but said he would be working closely with the Marlborough District Council.