Program manager Steven Smith said the disease-free animals were starting to arrive today at a specially constructed Department of Primary Industry facility at Taroona, near Hobart, as part of an insurance population.

Mr Smith said a number of pre-intake trapping trips were undertaken to confirm the western extent of the contagious Devil Facial Tumour Disease which is decimating Tasmanian Devil populations in central and eastern areas of the State.

"At this stage we have no evidence of the disease in the west and far north-west of the state and so we have identified specific disease free areas where the trapping programs will be undertaken," he said.

"Already there are more than 80 Tasmanian devils that are part of the insurance population being housed in facilities on the mainland.

"The strategy however recognises that the population needs to be built up to a certain level to ensure we have a genetically diverse and viable population if we ever need to rely on these animals to help re-establish wild populations."

Mr Smith said the strategy, which was developed with the Australasian Regional Association of Zoological Parks and Aquaria, identified that a range of methods could be used for housing the Tasmanian devils that were part of the insurance program.

"These range from intensively managed populations in zoos and wildlife parks as well as considering options such as fenced off areas and other measures," he said.