Media release – Guy Barnett, Minister for Primary Industries and Water and Roger Jaensch, Minister for Environment, 6 April 2022

Have your say on proposed new aquaculture standards

The Tasmanian Government is committed to a vibrant and sustainable aquaculture industry – one that strives to be world leading, innovative and underpinned by strong regulation.

The public is invited to have their say on the development of three new aquaculture standards that will support the sustainability of aquaculture industries in Tasmania. These proposed new standards will offer certainty and transparency to all farmers, regulators and the community alike.

The standards aim to provide a contemporary, best practice framework that ensures consistency and streamlining of regulation across all sectors, while also building on existing voluntary measures undertaken by the industry.

The Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRE Tas) is progressing consultation on the development of proposed standards that are part of a continuous improvement process that build on existing regulatory requirements for our sustainable industry and are an action arising from the Sustainable Industry Growth Plan for the Salmon Industry (2017).

The proposed standards are designed to enhance finfish farming biosecurity management, improve environmental regulation, and ensure state-wide consistency of marine farming management controls across all aquaculture sectors.

Once finalised, ongoing compliance with the standards will be monitored by NRE Tas and the independent Environment Protection Authority (EPA).

The development of the new 10-Year Salmon Plan has also begun, with early engagement with key stakeholders to commence in coming weeks, with formal public consultation opportunities to follow shortly after.

The new 10-Year Plan, which will come into effect in early 2023, will look to establish new long-term actions that support a vision for our sustainable industry, and which continues to support Tasmanian jobs and businesses across the supply chain.

For a copy of the proposed salmon biosecurity standards, proposed marine farming management controls, marine finfish environmental standard position paper, along with supporting documents and information on how to provide comment on the three areas of consultation, including on how feedback will be used, please visit: www.nre.tas.gov.au/aquaculturestandards.

Public consultation on the proposed new standards is open for six weeks, with comments closing on at 11.59pm on 20 May 2022.


Media release – Tasmanian Salmon Growers Association, 6 April 2022

SUSTAINABLE SALMON INDUSTRY WELCOMES AQUACULTURE STANDARDS

The Tasmanian Government’s decision to release aquaculture standards for public consultation has been welcomed by the Tasmanian Salmon Growers Association. TSGA CEO Sue Grau said this means everyone can understand the robust regulatory framework within which the aquaculture industry already operates. It is an important step in allowing our proud Tasmanian aquaculture sector to remain vibrant and enduring.

“The standards effectively confirm and formalise the best practice farming the Tasmanian Salmon industry works to every day,” said Ms Grau. “In addition to standards set by our regulators, each of our industry members continues to go above and beyond with their own voluntary measures. This is driven by a commitment to protecting Tasmania’s environment, our fish welfare and future proofing our industry. The salmon industry was the first seafood sector to produce a formal biosecurity plan in conjunction with the Tasmanian Government several years ago and has been reviewing and building on it ever since. This forms the basis of one of the draft standards released today.

“Collectively the sustainable Tasmanian salmon industry is supportive of consistent and transparent rules and management.” “We are now looking beyond the standards to the many opportunities for sustainable growth in over the next 10 years and beyond,” concluded Ms Grau.


Media release – Bob Brown Foundation, 7 April 2022

Transparency demanded over Burnie Salmon Sea Grab submissions

This week the federal government released its own summary of the 1,352 submissions received for the salmon trials proposed off Burnie, but the actual submissions themselves are nowhere to be seen.

“A huge number of submissions were received over the proposed Burnie salmon trial but the original submissions are nowhere to be seen. This is another example of an absolute lack of transparency and disregard for the community’s concerns for the marine environment. We call upon the federal government to make these submissions publicly available,” said Bob Brown Foundation Fish Farms and Marine Campaigner Bec Howarth.

“The federal government has instead released a summary of community concerns about the Burnie salmon trials. A dizzying array of concerns were raised including impacts on the local wildlife and environment, waste and marine debris, build-up of pollutants through lack of flushing in Bass Strait, warming waters, fish mortalities, impacts on recreational waters users, impacts on fishers and lack of confidence in the current regulators of salmon.”

“By releasing only a summary-form of community concerns, the federal government has demonstrated that this was nothing more than a box-ticking exercise on their pathway to an attempted giant salmon sea grab of offshore waters. An agreement this week has also quietly been made between the state and federal governments allowing big salmon and their Blue Economy CRC cronies to seize federal public waters for salmon research. This spells disaster for our ocean ecosystems and globally significant marine life,” concluded Bec Howarth.


Media release – Neighbours of Fish Farming (NOFF), 8 April 2022

Neighbours of Fish Farming (NOFF) demand immediate transparency on public responses to Bass Strait aquaculture proposal

As the population of Tasmania’s Bass Strait coastal communities prepare for salmon industry feedlots to infest their waterways in a so-called research project, never has there been more need for effective and transparent consultation and operations.

This is not what we are seeing.

Recently, the Government invited Tasmanians to have their say in a public survey in a token effort at community consultation.  Over 1350 responses were recorded, from researchers, academics, environmentalists, interested community members, aqua-culturalists, fishers and divers.

The Government’s response, published on the project website, is paternalistic, vague, and fails completely to address any of the serious environmental issues raised.

NOFF spokesperson Lisa Litjens said: “Tasmania boasts some of the most pristine and diverse marine environments in the world. We cannot tolerate a Government that blatantly hands the salmon industry a green light to operate and expand without transparency or a social licence. This is a shocking display of arrogance, dismissive of the community, nature and science.”

“We demand to see a full publication of all submissions made in the survey, so that Tasmanians can see the justified concerns of the population over likely industrial expansion in Bass Strait.”

“Without this transparency, the government is not doing its job. We expect sustainable and scientific consultation before approving and expanding an industry which has a proven reputation of marine ecology destruction.”