The facts behind Macquarie Harbour fish-farm expansion

Tasmania’s biggest industry members are combining in a key expansion.

A China fisheries giant has reached the edge of the Tasmanian wilderness in the biggest expansion yet of the island’s Atlantic salmon industry.

Hong Kong-listed Pacific Andes is the major shareholder in Hobart’s Tassal, which is leading a doubling of salmon production area in the environmental safe haven of Macquarie Harbour.

Once forced to deny links to toothfish poaching in the Antarctic, and more recently builder of the largest fishing factory ship afloat, PacAndes now claims tight corporate social responsibilities.

But its strategic ambition for Tassal was at least partly behind the recent departure of three directors, and its push into sensitive waters in Macquarie Harbour.

Run by descendants of Malaysian-born Ng Swee Hong, PacAndes describes itself as the world’s largest fishing company, and leading supplier to the booming Chinese fish market.

Its emergence was not without controversy. In 2002, Australian fishers claimed PacAndes was linked to a fleet of longliners at the height of the pirate toothfishing era.

Today PacAndes holds to a statement that the group did not own, operate or control any illegal vessels, was not responsible for the fishing activities of ships it serviced, and only purchased legal fish.

Full article, with links, The Age here

First published: 2012-06-12 08:58 AM