New operating developments have been proposed for Macquarie Harbour and Strahan, but competition from the mining sector, plus skilled workers being reluctant to relocate, is causing significant problems, according to a new report.

The state's industry is expanding, with sales rising by 53 per cent in the past five years and an estimation that about 38,000 tonnes of seafood would be sold in the 12 months to June this year.

That would be an increase of almost 400 tonnes compared with the 12 months to June last year.

But the increasing mineral resources sector has made it much harder to attract workers.

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry last week released the report, which is part of ongoing analysis that will finish in 2014.

The report noted a number of factors affecting employment, education and training in the Australian seafood industry, including significant gaps in the information base and the existence of uncertainty surrounding industry needs in relation to education and training and the number of people in the industry accessing those opportunities.

``In this labour market environment, the industry faces a number of challenges, including less skilled people applying for positions, a high turnover of staff and adapting to the ageing Australian workforce,'' the report said.

A national fisheries study released last year showed Tasmania's salmon industry had grown in value by $43.2 million between 2009 and 2010, and the sector's value was expected to continue to grow.

New regulatory requirements regarding food safety being considered by the state government were expected to lead to a greater need for training of food handlers in the sector, the report said.

``While more common for salmonoid processors than other processors, formal qualifications in the seafood processing sector have declined in recent years,'' the report said.

Furthermore, a significant portion of employees in Tasmania are between the ages of 40 and 60.