Tasmania’s world class sustainable salmon farming industry should be celebrated for growing Tasmania’s quality brand and for delivering sustainable jobs in regional Tasmania. The independent Marine Farming Planning Review Panel has supported Tasmania’s world’s best practice salmon industry and the environmental management of salmon farming at Okehampton Bay.
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This is a panel of eminent people with the rights skills to consider and assess scientific data, including from the institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies. The majority of the panel membership was appointed when the Greens were in government. The government will listen and back the independent science, which is why we support recommendations for further studies to allow the establishment of an environmental management regime overseen by the EPA.
The panel rejected claims that Okehampton Bay was “too warm’’ or “too shallow’’ and noted that the conditions were similar to other areas in South East Tasmania where salmon farming successfully existed. The Hodgman Liberal government is a strident supporter of the salmon industry. We want it to continue to grow sustainably and create more jobs, particularly in regional Tasmania.
This is why we want to secure the industries long-term future with a Sustainable Salmonid Industry Growth Plan developed with input from growers, stakeholders and the community. The Sustainable Salmonid Industry Growth Plan will be developed by the government in consultation with industry and the community, and will detail the government’s vision and priorities for the industry into the future.
While I don’t want to pre-empt the plan’s final form, it is likely that it will recommend future growth of the industry be largely oceanic. The Tasmanian government wants the community to have confidence in this industry, which is why this Okehampton Bay assessment process was independent and why we strengthened regulations and penalties.
From July 1, 2016, the independent Environment Protection Authority became responsible for the day-to-day environmental management of the salmon industry. This includes, based on environmental monitoring and targeted research, determining the amount of salmon production permissible in any Marine Farm Plan area.
This brings together the environmental management and regulation of all salmon farming activities under a single, independent authority. Additionally, the government proposes to legislate for a new environmental licence for salmonid aquaculture to enable the EPA to consolidate all environmental conditions into a single regulatory instrument and ensure they are being met by operators.
The government will work with the industry, local government and the community as this legislative reform package progresses. We know though, that despite our best efforts, there will always be some who will never be happy and want the industry shut down – this is an industry worth more than $700 million and supports 5200 jobs and I urge opponents to consider this before causing damage to the Tasmanian brand for political expediency.
Tasmanians can be assured that we will continue to work with the industry and regional communities to ensure the salmon industry remains something that every Tasmanian can be proud of and which continues to be a truly world-class sustainable asset.
⦁ Jeremy Rockliff is Primary Industries and Water Minister