Dover mussel growers today raised new concerns about the impacts of salmon farming on Tasmanian industry and the environment. Citing impacts on their own business, mussel growers joined a chorus of community and environmental concern over the aggressive expansion of salmon farming.
Responding to mussel growers’ concerns, Rebecca Hubbard, Environment Tasmania’s Marine Coordinator, said:
“We are deeply concerned by new information from Dover mussel growers that suggests the existing fish farms and their net-cleaning practices may be having an impact on commercial mussel farms. Other local finfish and abalone could also be impacted, but there is no monitoring and no management strategies in place.
“Tassal’s latest proposed salmon farm expansion also threatens to pollute an area where Critically Endangered Handfish are found and the endangered Southern Right Whale is known to breed. Yet, there is no public expert advice on how significant these impacts may be, nor a plan for monitoring and mitigating those impacts.
“The Marine Farm Planning Review Panel is beginning to look like a box-ticking exercise with another salmon farm expansion set to move through the planning process despite ongoing concerns from environment groups, industry and local communities.
“Salmon farming is polluting our waterways, putting local communities off-side and causing harm to other industries. The Planning process is failing the environment, further risking threatened species, and letting local communities and industry down. The regulator is clearly unable to deal with this industry’s impacts.
“There needs to be a halt on all new salmon farm expansions. The ongoing impacts require an independent environmental audit and review of the industry, and a full overhaul of its planning and regulation.”
Background information:
The Marine Farm Planning Review Panel is hearing from two presenters today (Mon) on their concerns about Tassal’s marine farming plan amendment at Lippies Point, between Dover and Southport (Draft Amendment No 6. to the D’Entrecasteaux Chanel Marine Farm Development Plan). The Panel Hearing is from 10am – 1pm and is administrated by the Marine Farming Branch in the Department of Primary Industries, Planning, Water and the Environment.
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