Tassal says the environmental damage its leases have done to Macquarie Harbour is being reversed, but remains cagey regarding the extent of marine life death in the area.
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The company will release the results of surveys it conducted in March and April, which it says indicates that the environmental impact salmon farming has wrought on Macquarie Harbour has been somewhat mitigated.
In a statement on Monday, Tassal said it had detected “signs of biological recovery” in the area, which, it said, suggested the harbour was not a dead zone.
Tassal chief executive Mark Ryan said the company was “extremely pleased” with the results of the surveys.
“We were confident that Macquarie Harbour would remediate, and we’re actually seeing that,” Mr Ryan said.
When questioned about the figures informing Tassal’s claims, Mr Ryan said they would be released in due course.
The company’s contentious 266 lease – also known as the Franklin lease – has had a history of non-compliance with the standards set by the Environment Protection Authority.
A report compiled by the Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies earlier this year found that Tassal’s farming activity had done significant damage to the harbour.
The EPA ordered Tassal to destock lease 266 - the lease closest to the World Heritage Area - by February, but the company did not abide by the ruling until April.
Mr Ryan said lease 214 in Middle Harbour and lease 219 at Gordon had returned to 100 per cent compliance.
He said the state of lease 266 had also improved, seeing a reduction from 14 non-compliances to three.
Environment Tasmania strategic director Laura Kelly said it was “concerning” that Tassal had put out a statement without releasing evidence to support its claims.
Furthermore, Greens leader Cassy O’Connor said “questions will remain in people’s minds” for as long as Tassal continues to withhold certain information.
Tassal also called for the establishment of an industry-funded salmon farming watchdog, for policing farming activity across all Tasmanian marine leases.
But Primary Industries Minister Jeremy Rockliff said the government had already “strengthened” regulation of the industry by establishing the EPA and introducing tougher penalties for non-compliances.
EPA director Wes Ford supported the government’s position on the matter.
Huon Aquaculture, another Macquarie Harbour leaseholder, is currently engaged in legal proceedings with the EPA and the state government over what the company perceives to be inadequate regulation of fish farming in the harbour.
Both Tassal and Petuna Seafoods, the other two leaseholders, have joined the proceedings, stressing their support for the EPA.