A TASMANIAN mussel producer says salmon farming practices in the state’s South have decimated his business. Mussel grower Warwick Hastwell, whose lease is 150 metres downstream of Tassal’s main farm at Dover, said in-water cleaning of the company’s salmon pens had smothered his stock in an invasive and insidious invertebrate. Mr Hastwell said the contaminant outbreak had stunted the growth of his mussels and stripped all value from his half-million dollar lease. ‘‘I’ve laid off my staff, I’ve shut my doors, I’m out of business,’’ he said. Mr Hastwell is worried the problem could spread much further than his own farm. ‘‘I think some of the current practices of the salmon industry have the potential to do some quite serious damage,’’ he said. Mr Hastwell wants the contamination investigated. His calls come as Tassal looks to combine two of its D’Entrecasteaux Channel leases into one, with plans for 28 salmon pens. Tassal’s head of sustainability Linda Sams said the company was looking into Mr Hastwell’s concerns, but insisted that sound science underpinned the company’s operations. ‘‘The Tassal site he is referring to is not used as a main grow-out site and is used sporadically to temporarily hold fish and is empty now,’’ Ms Sams said. Environment Tasmania spokeswoman Rebecca Hubbard called for a halt on salmon farm expansions while impacts of fish nets on marine ecosystems were assessed. ‘‘There seems to be a systemic failure with the assessment and management of salmon farms in Tasmania,’’ she said. Greens leader Kim Booth agreed, saying all expansions must be stalled while an independent study was undertaken. ‘‘To approve any expansion would be reckless and no different than a pig farmer applying to have huge floating piggeries located in the channel or Macquarie Harbour,’’ he said. But Primary Industries Minister Jeremy Rockliff accused the Greens of scaremongering. Mr Rockliff said the salmon industry operated sustainably and was subject to comprehensive monitoring. ‘‘Any causal links between salmon farming expansion and risk to the abalone or other fisheries have not been scientifically substantiated,’’ he said. ‘‘The department and I will continue to work co-operatively with all aquaculture and fishery industries on these issues.’’
Tunicate fouling on mussels. A state mussel producer has blamed salmon farming practices for smothering his stock with the pest. Picture: WARWICK HASTWELL
A TASMANIAN mussel producer says salmon farming practices in the state’s South have decimated his business.
Mussel grower Warwick Hastwell, whose lease is 150 metres downstream of Tassal’s main farm at Dover, said in-water cleaning of the company’s salmon pens had smothered his stock in an invasive and insidious invertebrate.
Mr Hastwell said the contaminant outbreak had stunted the growth of his mussels and stripped all value from his half-million dollar lease.
‘‘I’ve laid off my staff, I’ve shut my doors, I’m out of business,’’ he said.
Mr Hastwell is worried the problem could spread much further than his own farm.
‘‘I think some of the current practices of the salmon industry have the potential to do some quite serious damage,’’ he said.
Mr Hastwell wants the contamination investigated.
His calls come as Tassal looks to combine two of its D’Entrecasteaux Channel leases into one, with plans for 28 salmon pens.
Tassal’s head of sustainability Linda Sams said the company was looking into Mr Hastwell’s concerns, but insisted that sound science underpinned the company’s operations.
‘‘The Tassal site he is referring to is not used as a main grow-out site and is used sporadically to temporarily hold fish and is empty now,’’ Ms Sams said.
Environment Tasmania spokeswoman Rebecca Hubbard called for a halt on salmon farm expansions while impacts of fish nets on marine ecosystems were assessed.
‘‘There seems to be a systemic failure with the assessment and management of salmon farms in Tasmania,’’ she said.
Greens leader Kim Booth agreed, saying all expansions must be stalled while an independent study was undertaken.
‘‘To approve any expansion would be reckless and no different than a pig farmer applying to have huge floating piggeries located in the channel or Macquarie Harbour,’’ he said.
But Primary Industries Minister Jeremy Rockliff accused the Greens of scaremongering.
Mr Rockliff said the salmon industry operated sustainably and was subject to comprehensive monitoring.
‘‘Any causal links between salmon farming expansion and risk to the abalone or other fisheries have not been scientifically substantiated,’’ he said.
‘‘The department and I will continue to work co-operatively with all aquaculture and fishery industries on these issues.’’
