Petuna welcomes $24m fund to create jobs for Tasmanians

Petuna has welcomed the Tasmanian Government’s announcement today that it will establish a new fund, in partnership with the Federal Government, to leverage private investments that will create jobs and help grow the Tasmanian economy.

Petuna CEO, Dr Mark Porter, said with aquaculture highlighted as one of the key growth areas to be targeted by the new fund, Petuna saw the initiative as an encouraging opportunity to further expand its operations.

Dr Porter said on the back of a very successful 2015 financial year, Petuna had employed a further 22 staff since January, with the help of government funding, taking the company’s total employment to approximately 350 people within Tasmania alone.

“With the immanent commissioning of our new $10m recirculation hatchery at Cressy in the state’s north, Petuna views its future growth and development in the state as very positive and we keenly await the details of the new fund,” Dr Porter said.

Petuna is a Tasmanian success story, being the world’s first marine farming company to attain Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) certification for both salmon and ocean trout.

The company was established 65 years ago by Peter and Una Rockliff, whose vision was for Tasmania to be internationally recognised for quality and unsurpassed environmental excellence.

It is now jointly owned by the Rockliff family and Sealord Group, which has brought with it a worldwide fishing, processing and marketing network.
Petuna CEO, Dr Mark Porter