Aquaculture students Kautea Tora and Stella Hamilton have been celebrated as this year’s recipients of New Zealand King Salmon scholarships. The recipients were announced at the Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT) scholarship ceremony held at the Nelson Centre of Musical Arts on Thursday 22nd May.
New Zealand King Salmon scholarships are awarded annually to students in a specific NMIT Aquaculture Studies or Business Studies programme. Kautea and Stella each received $2,500 to contribute towards their course fees.
New Zealand King Salmon General Manager People and Culture Nikki Rackley says the company aims to support students to pursue further education and involvement in the aquaculture industry.
“We are proud of our long-standing partnership with NMIT, which aims to connect students with the knowledge, industry expertise and relevant experience to set them up for a successful career in Aquaculture,” says Nikki.
“This is not just about providing scholarships – New Zealand King Salmon wants to actively invest in the next generation of industry talent to strengthen New Zealand’s Aquaculture sector and future-proof it for growth.”
Nikki Rackley, General Manager of People and Culture (NZKS) with Kautea Tora
Over the past decade, New Zealand King Salmon has supported students with close to $150,000 in funding but the company’s collaboration with NMIT extends well beyond scholarships. To further support students’ practical experience and hands-on learning, the company provides whole fish (for health checks and dissection) and fertilised salmon eggs (for lessons on the salmon life cycle) in addition to placements, field trips and research projects.
Olivia Hall, Executive Director at NMIT, says the institute greatly values its partnership with New Zealand King Salmon and the tangible impact it has on students’ lives.
“We sincerely appreciate the ongoing partnership we have with New Zealand King Salmon,” says Olivia.
Nikki Rackley, General Manager of People and Culture (NZKS) with Stella Hamilton
“It’s a relationship that has grown over many years and continues to play a vital role in the success of our aquaculture programmes. These scholarships provide more than just financial support—they offer students real-world learning opportunities, industry connections, and the confidence to pursue their future in aquaculture.”
A first-time recipient of the New Zealand King Salmon scholarship, Kautea Tora grew up in Suva but hails from Gau in the Lomaiviti region of Fiji. She completed an industry placement on the Ruakākā farm as part of her course in 2024.
Kautea has a unique background in performing arts and spent a number of years as a choreographer and a dancer, travelling, performing, and teaching. Despite a significant shift to aquaculture, Kautea says the time was right for her to pursue a different path.
Now in her second year of a Bachelor of Aquaculture and Marine Conservation at NMIT, having completed a year of study in Marine Biology back in Fiji, Kautea says aquaculture wasn’t on her radar initially but her time at NMIT has sparked an interest in sustainable aquaculture, technology (including Recirculating Aquaculture Systems or RAS) and community involvement in aquaculture practices.
“Being from the Pacific, I’m very family and community-oriented, so I feel really connected to those aspects [of Aquaculture] – looking after the environment, looking after your people and then leaving a better environment for your future generations,” says Kautea.
Stella Hamilton grew up in the Coromandel and has always had a close connection to the ocean, which drew her to NMIT’s Aquaculture programme.
Like Kautea, Stella is interested in sustainable aquaculture and innovation in the sector.
“Nelson is the hub of Aquaculture in New Zealand and there’s so many opportunities here,” says Stella.
“There’s so much innovation in the industry and so many things are changing, especially with the RAS systems that are coming in. We’ve been able to learn a lot about them and design our own, to figure out what’s working and what’s not.”
A previous recipient of the New Zealand King Salmon scholarship, Stella is now in her third and final year of study towards a Bachelor of Aquaculture and Marine Conservation. Through the course of her study, she has spent time at most of New Zealand King Salmon’s locations in the top of the South Island, including the Tākaka hatchery, sea farms and processing factory.
For further information about NMIT’s aquaculture programmes, click here.
For further information about the scholarships, click here, or contact:
Dr Mark Burdass
NMIT Aquaculture Programme Co-ordinator
Ph: 03 539 5474 (ext. 328) or 027 246 1325
E: mark.burdass@nmit.ac.nz