‘Big impact but won’t kill us’: Westport locals have more fish to fry than Talley’s

Saturday, 2 May 2026

The closure of Talley’s Westport fish processing factory will have “a big impact on the town”, but the growing tourism and fishing industry has built resilience, say locals.

The closure will affect 92 staff. Talley’s said most will be offered jobs, but many will be outside the Buller region.

Locals who spoke to Stuff said while significant job losses can affect a small town, Westport has outgrown its dependency on large employers.

“Westport’s been through this before with closures, but there’s been a big push from the small businesses community to encourage domestic and international tourism,” retailer James Cameron, of Coast Outdoors, told Stuff.

“That gives us economic resilience. Big business employment comes and goes as investment does, so you can’t rely on that as the only driver.

“Our focus has been to maximise the amount of economic activity that comes from out of town.”

Big game fishing

The inaugural Buller Bluewater Classic, a big game fishing competition organised by local businesses earlier this year, was an example of how people were proactively strengthening the economy, Cameron said.

“It attracted big game fishers from all around New Zealand, many who had never been to Westport. They discovered - in terms of big fish - Westport is like Hawaii,” Cameron said.

One business to benefit was Shortjaw Brewery, where, during the two-month competition, fishers gathered to log catches, check the leaderboard and share stories over a beer.

“We’ve had a big summer from that and also the Kawatiri Coastal Trail has brought heaps of tourists filling the bar and spending throughout town,” said Luke Robertson, who runs the brewery and taproom bar with partner Emma Bemrose.

“We brought in a food truck, and other food outlets have popped up bringing offerings and jobs that four years ago didn’t exist.”

According to Stats NZ, the town’s population has been slowly rising since 2018, sitting at just over 6000 last June.

Cashed-up people leaving Auckland and Christchurch are one reason for the growth of the region.

“There’s an influx of new people recognising what you can get for your money here compared to big cities,” said Robertson.

The Talley’s closure would still “have a significant impact” he said, with some families even having to move out of town.

“It will certainly hurt, and be noticeable over the next six months, but the work of diversifying our workforce is speeding up. It won’t kill the town.”

Impact felt ‘well beyond the workplace’

Heath Milne, Development West Coast chief executive said the closure was “tough” for the town.

“While it’s positive that Talley’s is offering alternative roles, the loss of processing jobs locally will still be felt across the community. Our thoughts are with the workers and families affected.

“In Buller, seafood processing contributes more than $9m to the local economy, but the impact goes well beyond that, supporting local businesses, contractors and services.

“There are opportunities emerging too,” he said.

“Difficult news” is how Buller Mayor Chris Russell described the closure, telling Stuff that his first thoughts were with staff and families directly affected.

“These are local people, and the impact of a decision like this is felt well beyond the workplace,” Russell said.

“Buller has faced difficult economic changes before. What matters now is that we stay connected, practical and focused on supporting our people, our communities and the long-term resilience of the district.”

Russell said there will still be activity connected to the port, with Talley’s indicating that fish will continue to be received over the wharf.

Despite this, he said the loss of local processing was “significant” for Westport and “for the people connected to it”.

Stats NZ data shows the West Coast had the strongest employment growth in the country over the year to March, with around 380 new jobs, up 2.5%, compared to a national increase of just 0.3%.

“A big part of this growth has been in the minerals sector,” Milne said. “We’re seeing a growing pipeline of activity, particularly around Reefton where gold projects are creating new roles and attracting investment.

“At the same time, Buller has real potential to build on its natural strengths. The scenery and environment are a huge drawcard, and assets like the Kawatiri Coastal Trail and the Old Ghost Road are already among the best in the country and incredibly popular.

“Other economic growth for the area will be stimulated by a $1m government investment into Westport port, along with $671,200 from the West Coast Regional Council, part of a $5.3m plan to boost coastal shipping in the West Coast.”