The proponents of an East Coast salmon farming operation have dismissed comments from a former leaseholder that the site is not suitable to fin-fish farming.
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Salmon farmer Tassal insisted its 28 pen proposal for Okehampton Bay met its standards for rearing salmon and responsible environmental management.
A spokesman said the baseline data, commissioned by former Spring Bay Salmon owner Rowan Armitage in the early 2000s, demonstrated salmon could be farmed on the lease, despite Mr Armitage’s comments to the contrary.
Mr Armitage told ABC Radio low flow rates and rising water temperatures meant he thought the East Coast “wasn’t the place for fin-fish farming”.
He said Spring Bay Salmon sold the lease in 2007 because it did not deem it suitable for year-round production.
Mr Armitage had planned to farm about 1000 tons of salmon at Okehampton Bay, compared to Tassal’s plan to farm 2500 to 3000 tons.
He said he had raised his concerns to “prevent an environmental catastrophe” on the East Coast.
Primary Industries Minister Jeremy Rockliff announced last month that he’d requested the Marine Farming Planning Review Panel to review the Great Oyster Bay Marine Farming Development Plan following local opposition.
The panel is set to report back next February, with Mr Rockliff saying the assessment - which includes a public submission process – demonstrates the government’s commitment to “strict environmental management and regulation”.
Environment Tasmania strategy director Laura Kelly said the group had provided the baseline data to an independent scientist for analysis, but called on the government to widely release the data.
“Had Mr Armitage not come forward with this baseline data for the site, the public would have had no ability to participate meaningfully in the government’s review of Tassal’s Okehampton Bay lease,” Ms Kelly said.
Franklin Greens MHA Rosalie Woodruff said the Marine Farming Review Panel’s assessment was “a make-believe community consultation”, pointing out the panel’s lack of independent powers.
“Mr Rockliff must do the industry a favour and regulate them for success, through transparent processes and a rigorous scientific and social assessment, or walk away from Okehampton Bay,” Dr Woodruff said.
