Media release – Guy Barnett, Minister for Primary Industries and Water, 21 January 2022
Future directions for our Salmon Industry a key focus in 2022
The Tasmanian Government is continuing to identify innovative sustainable growth options for our world-class salmon industry as we develop a 10-year Salmon Future Directions Plan.
An international symposium discussing innovation in global aquaculture will headline this year’s community conversation regarding the future of Tasmania’s sustainable salmon industry.
The Salmon 23 Forum, to be held in Hobart in early May, will examine international best practice, research and developments in offshore and associated land-based marine farming systems, and related social, economic and environmental issues.
The Blue Economy CRC will engage with the Tasmanian community, industry and international audiences as part of the Salmon 23 Forum.
The independent Blue Economy Cooperative Research Centre will lead the symposium focussing on contemporary science, which will be followed by a second scenario analysis workshop in July.
The outcomes of the forums will be one of the inputs into the development of a new 10-year Salmon Future Directions Plan.
The Government is encouraging all stakeholders to engage in the development of the Plan, which will include multiple phases of consultation starting with targeted consultation, leading into a public call for submissions, and regional public meetings during June and October. At the same time, the Government will soon commence public consultation on proposed new Environment, Biosecurity and Marine Farming mandatory standards.
The Government has made significant progress on the future vision for Tasmanian aquaculture, with legislation currently before the Tasmanian Parliament to allow research projects in deeper Commonwealth waters.
The Government has also funded a project by the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) to undertake a state-wide Finfish Aquaculture Spatial Planning Exercise.
The report improves the understanding of potential activities in the marine environment by combining biophysical data with information on commercial fisheries, coastal access, recreational boating, navigation, marine infrastructure, and areas of conservation and/or high ecological value.
The report is not a substitute for the statutory and consultative marine farming planning process required for any specific development proposals and areas for aquaculture. The Government has already announced there will be no net increase in total leasable area for finfish farming in state waters beyond the current allocations and those areas subject to current research permits that may result in approved lease areas.
Media release – Bob Brown Foundation, 24 January 2022
Tasmanian salmon industry headed in wrong direction
The announcement on Friday by Minister Barnett that the Tasmanian Government is developing a ’10-year Salmon Future Directions Plan’ confirms that the industry and Government are not listening to calls from the community to reduce the impact of industrial fish farming.
Currently, salmon farms in Tasmania are creating huge environmental problems but it seems the Tasmanian government wants to push on with destroying Tasmania’s marine ecosystems.
“With the Gutwein government’s track record for ‘sustainability’, alleged ‘world’s best practice’ and community consultation with regards to the salmon, it would appear that this 10-year plan amounts to nothing more than a smoke screen for business as usual and a further give away of Tasmania’s beloved and pristine public waters to the polluting salmon barons,” said Alistair Allan from the Bob Brown Foundation’s marine team.
“The Tasmanian government and salmon industry are in cahoots to ensure the expansion of salmon over the next 10 years, even though it is plain to see that salmon farms are destroying Tasmania’s rivers and oceans now. If they continue to expand like they want to over the next 10 years, there won’t be one clean beach left in Tasmania.
The Blue Economy CRC is a collective of government and industry bodies perpetuating the interests of big business and carving up coastlines and ocean for industry usage, they don’t have the interests of Tasmania, its environment or communities at their core.
What the government should be announcing is a 10-year plan to repair and restore Tasmania’s waterways, especially Macquarie Harbour, from the massive damage already done by industrial salmon farming in our public waters,” said Mr Allan.
