A tiny Maori trust board in the eastern Bay of Plenty has won victory over fisheries giant Sanford, which opposed its plans to establish a massive offshore mussel farm.

The High Court in Wellington has cleared the way for New Zealand’s biggest mussel farm – covering 3800ha off the Opotiki coast in the eastern Bay of Plenty.

Fisheries giant Sanford appealed against a Ministry of Fisheries decision to grant Eastern Sea Farms permission to create one of the world’s biggest seafood farms on the grounds it would adversely affect commercial fishing.