From Scale to Tail was a co-creation workshop held in Nelson, organised by Moananui and the Iceland Ocean Cluster.
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The aim was simple: bring together people working across the blue economy – from fisheries and processing to innovation and policy – to talk openly about challenges, opportunities, and ideas.
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The focus was on using more of the fish, connecting people who don’t usually sit at the same table, and seeing what could happen if we did.

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After a warm welcome and Karakia from Jodie Kuntzsch, CEO of Moananui, we kicked things off with an interactive round of introductions. It quickly became clear that the room – both in-person and online – was packed with diverse expertise and shared curiosity. The context-setting session gave us a solid foundation:

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Jodie Kuntzsch laid out the local context and Moananui’s vision for regional innovation and collaboration to support intergenerational prosperity from a thriving blue economy.

‍Dr Alexandra Leeper, CEO of the Iceland Ocean Cluster, introduced the 100% Fish model, where even skins and heads have value – economically and socially.

‍Jonathan Peacey, from the NZ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, shared insights that support government investment in the Pacific blue economy.

Dr Craig Pritchard, from Cawthron Institute, dug into more detail about his research into a needs assessment & infrastructure mapping for Pacific Island tuna fish processing.

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Nordic Talk #1focused on 100% Fish: Challenges & Opportunities.

Alexandra Leeper, Susan Marshall (Plant & Food Research), and Johan Svenson (Cawthron) shared practical and scientific perspectives on how more of the fish – and seafood waste – can be used meaningfully.

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Nordic Talk #2 explored Clusters, Trust, and Collaboration.

‍Julie Encausse (Marea), Þór Sigfússon (Iceland Ocean Cluster), Jodie Kuntzsch reflected on building ecosystems that enhance trust and knowledge sharing to accelerate innovation

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Filming and photography by Tim Cuff

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The day was made possible by the Nordic Council and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Iceland. We are grateful to them for helping making this happen.

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Download the workshop summary here: