Burkhart Fisheries sell assets to Fiordland Lobster Company

Sunday, 26 May 2019

Crayfishermen Dennis and Trevor Burkhart have a 20 per cent share in the Fiordland Lobster Co.

A family business crayfishing off the coast of Marlborough for more than 40 years has sold their factory and trucks to Fiordland Lobster Co.

Burkhart Fisheries, who hold the biggest family-owned rock lobster quota in New Zealand, have sold their processing assets in exchange for cash. They already owned a 20 per cent share in the company based in Te Anau, Fiordland.

Pulling in crayfish off the coast of Ward Beach in Marlborough.

Founders Dennis and Trevor Burkhart would continue crayfishing day-to-day, while Fiordland handled their processing and distribution.

The Burkharts' need for a succession plan prompted them to sell. They would not disclose how much they sold for, but promised it was 'a lot more than we paid for it'.

A Burkhart boat is launched by bulldozer at Ward Beach.

Burkhart Fisheries making a new boat launch site at Ward Beach in May, 2018.

* Fishing proposal seeks to use public land, launch boats near scientific reserve

* Commercial fisherman joins call for protection of fragile Marlborough coastline

* Burkhart Fisheries offer to put bird spotter in front of bulldozer**

The November 2016 earthquake and subsequent seabed uplift complicated their south Marlborough launch site and continued to cause issues.

Dennis Burkhart said the stress resulting from the earthquake had impacted their decision to sell.

Nigel Hudson pulls a pot aboard the Burkhart boat (file pic).

With the sale of the factory, six employees had been transferred to Fiordland. The Burkharts still employed 12 people on their boats. There were no redundancies.

Ward beach unveils its round boulders after king tides.

The Burkhart family trusts, which owns Lansar Holdings Number 4 Limited, still owned the quota off Ward beach. Trevor and Dennis owned their own fishing boats.

Fiordland Lobster operated in New Zealand, Tasmania, South Australia and Victoria. They accounted for 35 per cent of New Zealand's live lobster exports and their main export market was China.

The Burkhart brand would still remain, with crayfish sold under an 'umbrella brand' called Wild Legend.

Burkhart Fisheries founders Trevor Burkart, left, and Dennis Burkhart following the earthquake.

'Our children didn't really want to get into the processing side, but they love the fishing,' Dennis said.

Between the two brothers, they had children working as fishermen, media producers, jewellers, as well as in weddings and catering.

'They're all doing their own thing, that's the reason we're selling the fisheries,' he said.

Collectively the brothers had a share in more crayfish quota than any other family in the country and they planned to continue crayfishing until they keel over, or 'become cray bait', they said.

'We're going to be dying soon so we want somebody to run it,' Trevor said.

What they had sold was 'nothing compared to the quota', he said.

'Quota is king. We'll never sell the quota.'

The two brothers and their wives had been business partners for 45 years. They had sold the factory, but still owned the service station and motel in Ward.

Fiordland Lobster Co was approached for comment.