A $3 MILLION Petuna Seafoods upgrade at Cressy will see the producer generate up to an additional three million salmon fry a year.
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The development includes two egg hatching systems with full temperature control, and will cut the facility's water usage by 95 per cent compared with previous flow-through technology.
The company was also successful in gaining a $250,000 Tasmanian Government Innovation and Investment Fund, which it will use to develop a state-of-the-art freshwater smolt facility.
Construction of the facility will begin late this year for an August 2015 commission, which will enable the company to create more than one million Atlantic salmon smolt a year.
The upgrades qualify Petuna ?to take advantage of increased fish farming allowance on the West Coast, according to company chief executive Mark Porter.
``Regional Development Australia recently invested $7.1?thmillion to develop an aquaculture hub at Strahan,'' Dr Porter said.
``For us, it's the next phase to utilise and fulfil the extra capacity at Macquarie Harbour.''
He said Petuna Seafoods had leases for 45 per cent of Strahan's fish farming area, which occupies about 3 per cent of Macquarie Harbour after the 362-hectare expansion.
The company's investment is anticipated to create four full-time equivalent jobs in construction, five to eight full-time equivalent jobs at the Cressy hatchery and 15 full-time equivalent jobs in marine ?operations at Strahan and its Devonport processing factory.
Tasmanian Premier Lara Giddings said she ``looked forward to visiting the site in the near future''.
``This project exemplifies the fund's aim of providing targeted, strategic support to help businesses grow and create high-quality, skilled jobs and opportunities for Tasmanians,'' Ms Giddings said.
Northern Midlands Mayor Kim Polley said the government's endorsement reflected the hard work of one of their valued producers.
``The recent financial endorsement it received is a strong indication of the confidence the government holds for this progressive business with a clean, green and environmentally aware image,'' Cr Polley said.
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